THE  STORY  OF 

OUR  NAVY 


WILLIS    J. 


ABBOT 


38  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  mortification  of  witnessing  the  failure  of  his  enter 
prise,  after  having  been  within  gunshot  of  the  town 
that  he  had  hoped  to  capture.  As  for  the  good  people 
of  Kirkaldy,  they  were  convinced  that  their  escape  from 
the  daring  seamen  was  wholly  due  to  the  personal  in 
fluence  of  their  pastor  with  the  Deity;  and  the  worthy 
parson  lived  long  afterward,  ever  held  in  most  mighty 
veneration  by  the  people  of  his  flock. 

Disappointed  in  this  plan,  Jones  continued  his  cruise. 
Soon  after  he  fell  in  with  the  "  Alliance  "  and  the 
"  Vengeance  " ;  and,  while  off  Flamborough  Head,  the 
little  squadron  encountered  a  fleet  of  forty-one  merchant 
ships,  that,  at  the  sight  of  the  dreaded  Yankee  cruisers, 
crowded  together  like  a  flock  of  frightened  pigeons, 
and  made  all  sail  for  the  shore;  while  two  stately  men- 
of-war — the  "  Serapis,  forty-four,"  and  the  "  Countess 
of  Scarborough,  twenty-two  " — moved  forward  to  give 
battle  to  the  Americans. 

Jones  now  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  his  greatest 
victory.  His  bold  and  chivalric  mind  had  longed  for 
battle,  and  recoiled  from  the  less  glorious  pursuit  of 
burning  helpless  merchantmen,  and  terrorizing  small 
towns  and  villages.  He  now  saw  before  him  a  chance 
to  meet  the  enemy  in  a  fair  fight,  muzzle  to  muzzle, 
and  with  no  overpowering  odds  on  either  side.  Al 
though  the  Americans  had  six  vessels  to  the  English 
men's  two,  the  odds  were  in  no  wise  in  their  favor. 
Two  of  the  vessels  were  pilot-boats,  which,  of  course, 
kept  out  of  the  battle.  The  "  Vengeance,"  though 
ordered  to  render  the  larger  vessels  any  possible  as 
sistance,  kept  out  of  the  fight  altogether,  and  even 
neglected  to  make  any  attempt  to  overhaul  the  flying 
band  of  merchantmen.  As  for  the  "  Alliance,"  under 
the  erratic  Landais,  she  only  entered  the  conflict  at  the 
last  moment;  and  then  her  broadsides,  instead  of  being 
delivered  into  the  enemy,  crashed  through  the  already 


THE  STORY  OF 

OUR  NAVY 


From  Colonial  Days  to  the 
Present  Time 


BY 


WILLIS  JOHN  ABBOT 

AUTHOR  or  THE  BLUE  JACKET    SERIES,   THE  BATTLEFIELD  SERIES, 
AMERICAN  MERCHANT  SHIPS  AND  SAILORS 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS 


VOL.  I 


NEW  YORK 
DODD,   MEAD  AND  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1916,  BY 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY,  INC. 


THE    QUINN    4    BODEN    CO.    PRESS 
R/HWAY,    N.    J. 


NOTE 

THIS  volume  is  a  history,  told  in  a  popular,  narrative 
form,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  from  its  beginning 
to  May  i,  1916.  Within  its  compass  is  not  space  for 
all  the  events,  or  even  for  the  mention  of  all  the  fig 
ures  in  America's  defence  of  her  honors  upon  the  seas. 
Rather  does  it  aim  to  give  a  running  narrative  of  the 
course  of  the  development  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
from  its  earliest  beginnings  to  the  present  time,  and  to 
tell  the  story  of  the  picturesque  features  of  its  early 
struggles  and  its  later  triumphs. 

The  author  desires  to  express  his  thanks  to  the  Hon. 
Theodore  Sutro  for  permission  to  use  the  copyrighted 
reproductions  of  certain  paintings  by  the  distinguished 
marine  artist,  Edward  Moran.  The  fine  examples 
represented  in  this  book  are  chosen  from  thirteen 
paintings  to  typify  thirteen  chapters  in  the  History  of 
America  on  the  Sea.  Nothing  is  better  adapted  to 
educate  and  stimulate  American  interests  upon  the 
ocean  than  a  careful  study  of  the  reproductions  of 
these  remarkable  paintings. 


380199 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

VOL.  I 

United  States  SS.  "  Connecticut " Cover  inlay 

Copyright,  1907,  Enrique  Muller 

Return  of  the  Conquerors,  September  29,  1899     •       •    Frontispiece 
Typical  Blockade  Runner Facing  page    12 

The  Action  Between  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard  " 

and  the  "  Serapis,"  September  29,  1779     .       .         "          "       38 

First   Recognition   of   the   American    Flag   by   a 

Foreign  Government  .......         "          "62 

Bombardment  of  Island  No.  10 "          "98 

From  a  Print  of  the  Time 

Burning  of  the  Frigate  "  Philadelphia  "...  "     104 

Commodore  Stephen  Decatur "     118 

The  "Constitution"  and  the  "Guerriere"     .  "          "     140 

From  a  Print  of  the  Time 

Iron   versus  Wood.     Sinking   of   the   "Cumber 
land  "  by  the  "  Merrimac " "          "144 

The  "  United  States "  and  "  Macedonian "  "          "     158 

From  a  Print  of  the  Time 

Commodore  Perry "          "174 

Perry's  Victory— The  Battle  of  Lake  Erie,  Sep 
tember  10,  1813 "         "     180 

The  "Monitor"  and  "Merrimac"     ....         "          "     188 
From  a  Print  of  the  Time 

Admiral  Farragut "          "     232 

The  "  Constitution,"  "  Levant,"  and  "  Cyane "       .         "          "     270 

The    Brig    "Armstrong"    Engaging    the    British 

Fleet "          "280 


CONTENTS— VOL.  I 

CHAPTER  I  PAGE 

The  Navy  of  Colonial  Days — Discontent  in  the  Colonies — The 
Evil  of  Impressment — Destruction  of  the  "  Gaspee  " — John 
Manly,  Father  of  the  American  Navy — The  First  Ship's 
Roster— The  Many  Flags i 

CHAPTER  II 

Paul  Jones,  the  First  Great  American  Seafighter,  but  to  the 
British  a  Pirate — In  Command  of  the  "  Ranger  " — His  In 
vasion  of  England 10 

CHAPTER  III 

Career  of  Paul  Jones  Continued — His  Descent  upon  the  Castle 
of  Lord  Selkirk— The  Affair  of  the  Plate— The  Descent 
upon  Whitehaven— The  Battle  with  the  "Drake"  .  18 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Career  of  Paul  Jones  Continued — His  Search  for  a  Ship 
— Given  Command  of  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard  " — Landais 
and  His  Character — The  Frustrated  Mutiny — Landais  Quar 
rels  with  Jones — Edinburgh  and  Leith  Threatened — The 
Dominie's  Prayer — The  Battle  with  the  "  Serapis  "  .  .  .29 

CHAPTER  V 

Britain's  Great  Naval  Force — Biddle  and  Tucker — An  Envoy  in 
Battle— The  Cruise  of  the  "  Raleigh  "—The  Taking  of  New 
Providence — The  Work  of  Privateers  and  Colonial  Cruisers 
— The  "  Alliance  "  and  Captain  Barry 56 

CHAPTER  VI 

Work  of  the  Privateers— The  "  General  Hancock "  and  the 
"  Levant  " — Exploit  of  the  "  Pickering  " — Raiding  Nova 
Scotia — "  Congress  "  and  "  Savage  " — "  Hyder  Ali  "  and 
"General  Monk" 81 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Barbary  Corsairs — America  Finally  Resists  Piracy — Bain- 
bridge  and  the  "  Philadelphia  " — Decatur's  Daring  Exploit — 
An  Attack  on  the  Tripolitan  Gunboats — The  Fireship  at 

Tripoli 96 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VIII  PAGE 

The  Quasi-war  with  France — "  Constellation  "  and  "  Insurgente  " 
— Decatur  Once  More— "Little  Jarvis,"  a  Boy  Hero      .       .115 


CHAPTER  IX 

War  of  1812— British  Pressgang  Methods—The  "  Chesapeake  " 
and  "  Leopard  " — The  "  President  "  and  "  Little  Belt  " — 
Disparity  of  the  Two  Navies — "  Constitution  "  and  "  Guer- 
riere" 125 


CHAPTER  X 

Three  Fierce  Naval  Duels—"  United  States  "  and  "  Macedonian  " 
— "  Wasp  "  and  "  Frolic  " — "  Constitution  "  and  "  Java  "       .   147 

CHAPTER  XI 

The  War  on  the  Lakes — Building  a  Fresh  Water  Navy — Perry 
at  Put-in- Bay— McDonough  on  Lake  Champlain     .       .       .171 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  "  Hornet "  and  "  Peacock  "—Escape  of  the  "  Constellation  " 
—Cruise  of  the  "  President "— "  Chesapeake  "  and  "  Shan 
non"—  "Argus"  and  "  Pelican  "  — "  Enterprise  "  and 
"Boxer" .202 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The   Cruise  of  the   "Essex"— A  Twelve- Year-Old   Captain- 
War  with  the  Aborigines— A  Squadron  of  Prizes— Trapped 

in    Port — Thp    T  ncc    nf    +Ti«    "  T7ooQV  » 


in  Port— The  Loss  of  the  "Essex 


229 


CHAPTER  XIV 

'Peacock"     and     "  Epervier "— The     Disappearance     of     the 
Wasp   —Bombardment    of    Stonington— The    Capture    of 
Washington— Fort  McHenry— Battle  of  New  Orleans   .       .  248 

CHAPTER  XV 

'  Constitution,"  "  Cyane,"  and  "  Levant  "—Loss  of  the  "  Presi 
dent  "—Captain  Reid— The  "General  Armstrong "—"  Pea 
cock  and  "  Nautilus  "—Close  of  the  War  .  268 


THE  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 
VOL.  I 

CHAPTER  I 

The  Navy  of  Colonial  Days — Discontent  in  the  Colonies — The  Evil 
of  Impressment— Destruction  of  the  "Gaspee"  —  John  Manly, 
Father  of  the  American  Navy — The  First  Ship's  Roster — The 
Many  Flags. 

IN  this  second  decade  of  the  Twentieth  Century,  when 
the  navy  of  the  United  States  is  conceded  by  all  to 
be  third  among  the  floating  fighting  forces  of  the 
nations,  and  held  by  many  to  be  second,  the  story  of 
its  beginnings  seems  trivial  and  hardly  worth  the  tell 
ing  or  the  reading.  One  is  apt  to  think  that,  in  the 
face  of  the  present-day  voyage  of  sixteen  steel-armored 
battleships  around  Cape  Horn  and  the  world,  the  simi 
lar  voyage  of  Commodore  Porter  in  the  frigate  "Essex" 
in  1812  is  of  slight  import.  And  when  we  have  in 
mind  Dewey  destroying  in  one  morning's  battle  all 
vestige  of  Spanish  power  in  the  Far  East,  and  Schley 
and  Sampson  in  a  few  hours  ending  Spain's  rule  in 
the  West  Indies — the  very  lands  which  she  was  first 
to  discover,  to  develop,  and  to  exploit — what  was  done 
in  the  earlier  days  of  the  navy  may  seem  of  little  im 
portance. 

But  the  armies  of  Washington  were  puny  in  com 
parison  even  with  those  which  the  nation  sent  forth 
for  the  subjugation  of  the  Philippines.  Nevertheless, 
the  "  ragged  continentals  "  builded  a  nation.  Paul 
Jones  was  proud  when  he  secured  command  of  the 
"  Bon  Homme  Richard,"  a  ship  mounting  forty  guns, 


2  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

which  would  have  been  put  out  of  action  by  one  shell 
frqm.the  secondary  battery  of  any  modern  American 
warship.'  Yet  with  that  one  weak  ship  he  changed 
the  story  of  naval  triumphs  and  won  such  fame  that, 
after  more  than  a  century  of  oblivion,  his  body  was 
saved  from  an  obscure  resting-place  in  Paris,  brought 
to  the  United  States  in  a  war  vessel,  and  rests  in  the 
monumental  chapel  at  Annapolis  as  an  inspiration  to 
the  lads  there  being  educated  for  the  glorious  service 
of  the  nation  afloat.  So  it  may  be  asserted  that  even 
in  the  light  of  recent  magnificent  achievements  of  the 
navy,  the  story  of  its  earliest  days  is  not  without  im 
portance — as  it  certainly  is  not  without  interest. 

In  telling  this  story,  some  license  must  be  allowed  in 
the  use  of  terms.  There  were  sharp  sea  fights  in  the 
colonial  days,  and  in  the  opening  years  of  the  Revolu 
tion.  But  there  was  no  navy  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
word  until  the  Revolution  was  well  advanced. 

Prior  to  that  time  there  were  ships  commissioned 
by  individual  colonies,  and  privateers.  Yet  what  they 
did  on  the  ocean  showed  the  naval  spirit  animating  the 
American  character — a  spirit  which,  if  it  lagged  be 
tween  1815  and  1861,  and  1870  and  1890,  seems  now 
to  have  been  effectively  revived. 

Much  of  the  discontent  in  the  colonies,  which  led  up 
to  the  Revolution,  was  bred  of  the  aggressions  of 
British  men-of-war,  and  particularly  of  the  practice  of 
impressing  American  seamen.  As  early  as  1764  the 
people  of  Newport  seized  a  shore  battery  and  fired  upon 
a  king's  ship  in  the  harbor,  thus  anticipating  by  twelve 
years  the  "  embattled  farmers  "  of  Concord,  who  "  fired 
the  shot  heard  around  the  world."  One  incident  is 
typical  of  many  which  led  the  seafaring  folk  of  the 
colonies  to  be  early  in  revolt. 

One  breezy  afternoon,  a  stanch  brig,  under  full  sail, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS  3 

came  up  the  bay,  and  entered  the  harbor  of  Newport. 
Her  sides  were  weather-beaten,  and  her  dingy  sails 
and  patched  cordage  showed  that  she  had  just  com 
pleted  her  long  voyage.  Her  crew,  a  fine  set  of 
bronzed  and  hardy  sailors,  were  gathered  on  her  fore 
castle,  eagerly  regarding  the  cluster  of  cottages  that 
made  up  the  little  town  of  Newport.  In  those  cottages 
were  many  loved  ones,  wives,  mothers,  and  sweethearts, 
whom  the  brave  fellows  had  not  seen  for  long  and 
weary  months;  for  the  brig  was  just  returning  from 
a  voyage  to  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  feelings  aroused  by  the 
arrival  of  a  ship  in  port  after  a  long  voyage.  From 
the  outmost  end  of  the  longest  wharf  the  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  sailors  eagerly  watch  the  approaching 
vessel,  striving  to  find  in  her  appearance  some  token 
of  the  safety  of  the  loved  ones  on  board.  If  a  flag 
hangs  at  half-mast  in  the  rigging,  bitter  is  the  suspense, 
and  fearful  the  dread,  of  each  anxious  watcher,  lest 
her  husband  or  lover  or  son  be  the  unfortunate  one 
whose  death  is  mourned.  And  on  the  deck  of  the 
ship  the  excitement  is  no  less  great.  Even  the  hardened 
breast  of  the  sailor  swells  with  emotion  when  he  first 
catches  sight  of  his  native  town,  after  long  months 
of  absence.  With  eyes  sharpened  by  constant  search 
ing  for  objects  upon  the  broad  bosom  of  the  ocean, 
he  scans  the  waiting  crowd,  striving  to  distinguish  in 
the  distance  some  well-beloved  face.  His  spirits  are 
light  with  the  happy  anticipation  of  a  season  in  port 
with  his  loved  ones,  and  he  discharges  his  last  duties 
before  leaving  the  ship  with  a  blithe  heart. 

So  it  was  with  the  crew  of  the  home-coming  brig. 
Right  merrily  they  sung  out  their  choruses  as  they 
pulled  at  the  ropes,  and  brought  the  vessel  to  anchor. 
The  rumble  of  the  hawser  through  the  hawse-holes  was 
sweet  music  to  their  ears ;  and  so  intent  were  they  upon 


4  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

the  crowd  on  the  dock,  that  they  did  not  notice  two 
long-boats  which  had  put  off  from  the  man-of-war, 
and  were  pulling  for  the  brig.  The  captain  of  the 
merchantman,  however,  noticed  the  approach  of  the 
boats,  and  wondered  what  it  meant.  "  Those  fellows 
think  I've  smuggled  goods  aboard,"  said  he.  "  How 
ever,  they  can  spend  their  time  searching  if  they  want. 
I've  nothing  in  the  hold  I'm  afraid  to  have  seen." 

The  boats  were  soon  alongside;  and  two  or  three 
officers,  with  a  handful  of  jackies,  clambered  aboard 
the  brig. 

"  Muster  your  men  aft,  captain,"  said  the  leader, 
scorning  any  response  to  the  captain's  salutation.  "  The 
king  has  need  of  a  few  fine  fellows  for  his  service." 

"  Surely,  sir,  you  are  not  about  to  press  any  of 
these  men,"  protested  the  captain.  "  They  are  just 
returning  after  a  long  voyage,  and  have  not  yet  seen 
their  families." 

"  What's  that  to  me,  sir?"  was  the  response. 
"  Muster  your  crew  without  more  words." 

Sullenly  the  men  came  aft,  and  ranged  themselves 
in  line  before  the  boarding-officers.  Each  feared  lest 
he  might  be  one  of  those  chosen  to  fill  the  ship's  roll 
of  the  "  Maidstone  ";  yet  each  cherished  the  hope  that 
he  might  be  spared  to  go  ashore,  and  see  the  loved 
ones  whose  greeting  he  had  so  fondly  anticipated. 

The  boarding-officers  looked  the  crew  over,  and,  after 
consulting  together,  gruffly  ordered  the  men  to  go  below, 
and  pack  up  their  traps. 

"  Surely  you  don't  propose  to  take  my  entire  crew?  " 
said  the  captain  of  the  brig  in  wondering  indig 
nation. 

"  I  know  my  business,  sir,"  was  the  gruff  reply,  "  and 
I  do  not  propose  to  suffer  any  more  interference." 

The  crew  of  the  brig  soon  came  on  deck,  carrying 
their  bags  of  clothes,  and  were  ordered  into  the  man- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS  5 

o'-war's  boats,  which  speedily  conveyed  them  to  their 
floating  prison.  Their  fond  visions  of  home  had  been 
rudely  dispelled.  They  were  now  enrolled  in  His  Ma 
jesty's  service,  and  subject  to  the  will  of  a  blue-coated 
tyrant.  This  was  all  their  welcome  home. 

Newport  and  the  maritime  colonies  of  New  England 
sent  thousands  of  sailors  into  the  war  with  Great 
Britain,  and  dispatched  scores  of  privateers.  It  was 
exactly  such  outrages  as  the  foregoing  that  made  these 
people  spring  to  arms.  Long  before  the  academic 
question  of  "  taxation  without  representation  "  turned 
Boston  harbor  into  a  teapot  the  people  along  Narragan- 
sett  Bay  were  fighting  for  their  personal  rights  on 
water  and  on  land.  The  affair  of  the  "  Gaspee  "  is 
the  most  typical  in  this  conflict,  though  not  the  first. 
The  "  Gaspee  "  was  an  armed  vessel  stationed  in  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay  to  enforce  the  revenue.  She  was  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant  Dudingston  of  the  British  navy, 
and  carried  eight  guns.  By  pursuing  the  usual  tactics 
of  the  British  officers  stationed  on  the  American  coast, 
Dudingston  had  made  himself  hated;  and  his  vessel 
was  marked  for  destruction. 

The  propitious  time  arrived  one  bright  June  morning 
in  the  year  1772,  when  the  u  Gaspee  "  gave  chase  to  a 
Newport  packet  which  was  scudding  for  Providence, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Thomas  Lindsey.  The 
armed  vessel  was  a  clean-cut  little  craft,  and,  carrying 
no  heavier  load  than  a  few  light  guns  of  the  calibre 
then  in  vogue,  could  overhaul  with  ease  almost  any 
merchantman  on  the  coast.  So  on  this  eventful  day 
she  was  rapidly  overhauling  the  chase,  when,  by  a 
blunder  of  the  pilot,  she  was  run  hard  and  fast  upon 
a  spit  of  sand  running  out  from  Namquit  Point,  and 
thus  saw  her  projected  prize  sail  away  in  triumph. 

But  the  escape  of  her  prize  was  not  the  greatest 
disaster  that  was  to  befall  the  "  Gaspee  "  that  day. 


6  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

Lindsey,  finding  himself  safe  from  the  clutches  of  the 
enemy,  continued  his  course  to  Providence,  and  on  arriv 
ing  at  that  city  reported  the  condition  of  the  "  Gaspee  " 
to  a  prominent  citizen,  who  straightway  determined 
to  organize  an  expedition  for  the  destruction  of  the 
pest  of  marine  traffic.  He  therefore  gave  orders  to 
a  trusty  ship-master  to  collect  eight  of  the  largest  long 
boats  in  the  harbor,  and,  having  muffled  their  oars 
and  rowlocks,  placed  them  at  Fenner's  Wharf,  near  a 
noted  tavern. 

That  night,  soon  after  sunset,  as  the  tradesmen  were 
shutting  up  their  shops,  and  the  laboring  men  were 
standing  on  the  streets  talking  after  their  day's  work, 
a  man  passed  down  the  middle  of  each  street,  beating 
a  drum,  and  crying  aloud: 

"  The  schooner  *  Gaspee '  is  ashore  on  Namquit 
Point.  Who  will  help  destroy  her?" 

All  who  expressed  a  desire  to  join  in  the  enterprise 
were  directed  to  repair  to  the  Sabin  House;  and  thither, 
later  in  the  evening,  flocked  many  of  the  townspeople, 
carrying  guns,  powder-flasks,  and  bullet-pouches.  With 
in  the  house  all  was  life  and  bustle.  The  great  hall 
was  crowded  with  determined  men,  discussing  the  plan 
of  attack.  Guns  stood  in  every  corner,  while  down 
in  the  kitchen  half  a  dozen  men  stood  about  a  glow 
ing  fire  busily  casting  bullets.  At  last,  all  being  pre 
pared,  the  party  crossed  the  street  to  the  dock,  and 
embarked, — a  veteran  sea-captain  taking  the  tiller  of 
each  boat. 

On  the  way  down  the  harbor  the  boats  stopped, 
and  took  aboard  a  number  of  paving-stones  and  stout 
clubs,  as  weapons  for  those  who  had  no  muskets.  After 
this  stoppage  the  boats  continued  on  their  way,  until, 
when  within  sixty  yards  of  the  "  Gaspee,"  the  long- 
drawn  hail,  "Who  comes  there?"  rang  out  over  the 
water.  No  answer  was  made,  and  the  lookout  quickly 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS  7 

repeated  his  hail.  Captain  Whipple,  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  attack,  then  responded,— 

"  I  want  to  come  on  board." 

Dudingston,  who  was  below  at  the  time,  rushed  on 
deck,  exclaiming,  "  Stand  off.  You  can't  come  aboard." 

As  Dudingston  stood  at  the  side  of  the  "  Gaspee  " 
warning  off  the  assailants,  he  presented  a  good  mark; 
and  Joseph  Bucklin,  who  pulled  an  oar  in  the  leading 
boat,  turned  to  a  comrade  and  said,  "  Ephe,  lend  me 
your  gun,  and  I  can  kill  that  fellow."  The  gun  was 
accordingly  handed  him,  and  he  fired.  Dudingston 
fell  to  the  deck.  Just  as  the  shot  was  fired,  the  leader 
of  the  assailants  cried  out : 

"  I  am  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Kent.  I  am  come 
for  the  commander  of  this  vessel;  and  have  him  I  will, 
dead  or  alive.  Men,  spring  to  your  oars." 

In  an  instant  the  boats  were  under  the  lee  of  the 
schooner,  and  the  attacking  party  was  clambering  over 
the  side.  The  first  man  to  attempt  to  board  seized  a 
rope,  and  was  clambering  up,  when  one  of  the  British 
cut  the  rope,  and  let  him  fall  into  the  water.  He 
quickly  recovered  himself,  and  was  soon  on  deck,  where 
he  found  his  comrades  driving  the  crew  of  the  u  Gas- 
pee  "  below,  and  meeting  with  but  little  resistance. 

A  surgeon  who  was  with  the  party  of  Americans  led 
the  boarders  below,  and  began  the  task  of  tying  the 
hands  of  the  captured  crew  with  strong  tarred  cord. 
While  thus  engaged,  he  was  called  on  deck. 

"What  is  wanted,  Mr.  Brown?"  asked  he,  calling 
the  name  of  the  person  inquiring  for  him. 

"  Don't  call  names,  but  go  immediately  into  the 
cabin,"  was  the  response.  "  There  is  one  wounded, 
and  will  bleed  to  death." 

The  surgeon  went  into  the  captain's  cabin,  and  there 
found  Dudingston,  severely  wounded,  and  bleeding 
freely.  Seeing  no  cloth  suitable  for  bandages,  the 


8  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

surgeon  opened  his  vest,  and  began  to  tear  his  own 
shirt  into  strips  to  bind  up  the  wound.  With  the 
tenderest  care  the  hurt  of  the  injured  officer  was  at 
tended  to;  and  he  was  gently  lowered  into  a  boat,  and 
rowed  up  the  river  to  Providence. 

The  Americans  remained  in  possession  of  the  cap 
tured  schooner,  and  quickly  began  the  work  of  demoli 
tion.  In  the  captain's  cabin  were  a  number  of  bottles 
of  liquor,  and  for  these  the  men  made  a  rush;  but 
the  American  surgeon  dashed  the  bottles  to  pieces  with 
the  heels  of  his  heavy  boots,  so  that  no  scenes  of  drunk 
enness  were  enacted.  After  breaking  up  the  furniture 
and  trappings  of  the  craft,  her  people  were  bundled 
over  the  side  into  the  boats  of  their  captors,  and  the 
torch  was  set  to  the  schooner.  The  boats  lay  off  a 
little  distance  until  the  roaring  flames  satisfied  them 
that  the  "  Gaspee  "  would  never  again  annoy  American 
merchantmen.  As  the  schooner's  shotted  guns  went 
off  one  after  the  other,  the  Americans  turned  their 
boats'  prows  homeward,  and  soon  dispersed  quietly  to 
their  homes. 

After  the  battle  of  Lexington  attacks  upon  British 
armed  vessels  were  numerous  all  along  the  coast  from 
Maine  to  the  Carolinas.  The  coastwise  waters  saw 
some  hard  fighting,  but  it  was  not  naval,  except  in  the 
sense  that  it  was  done  afloat  and  mainly  by  seafaring 
men.  But  it  was  in  the  latter  part  of  1775  that  the 
first  suggestion  of  a  true  navy  was  made  by  General 
Washington.  On  his  own  responsibility  he  sent  out 
two  armed  schooners  to  capture  the  enemy's  ships  and 
secure  provisions  and  munitions  of  war.  They  had 
some  success,  but  when  in  October  of  the  same  year 
Congress  commissioned  several  small  vessels  the  Amer 
ican  navy  had  its  true  beginning. 

The  first  vessel  thus  commissioned  was  the  "  Lee," 
a  small  but  swift  brig,  commanded  by  John  Manly, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS  9 

who  really  deserves  the  title  of  the  "  Father  of  the 
American  Navy."  The  work  of  Manly  and  of  the 
small  vessels  of  which  the  "  Lee "  was  a  type  en 
couraged  Congress  to  proceed  with  the  organization 
of  a  true  navy,  and  by  1776  the  building  of  thirteen 
war  vessels,  carrying  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-two 
guns  each,  had  been  authorized.  But  as  some  naval 
force  was  obviously  necessary  during  the  construction 
of  this  fleet,  five  old  vessels  were  procured,  and  the 
new  navy  was  organized  with  the  following  roster  of 
officers : 

ESEK  HOPKINS Commander-in-chief 

DUDLEY  SALTONSTALL Captain  of  the  "Alfred" 

ABRAHAM  WHIPPLE  ....  Captain  of  the  "  Columbus  " 
NICHOLAS  BIDDLE  .  .  .  Captain  of  the  "  Andrea  Doria  " 
JOHN  B.  HOPKINS Captain  of  the  "  Cabot  " 

A  long  list  of  lieutenants  was  also  provided,  among 
whom  stands  out  boldly  the  name  of  John  Paul  Jones. 
John  Manly,  whose  dashing  work  in  the  schooner 
"  Lee  "  we  have  already  noticed,  was  left  in  command 
of  his  little  craft  until  the  thirty-two-gun  ship  "  Han 
cock  "  was  completed,  when  he  was  put  in  command  of 
her. 

Under  flags  of  various  designs — the  rattlesnake  with 
the  motto,  "  Don't  Tread  on  Me";  the  flag  of  each 
colony;  the  flag  first  hoisted  by  Paul  Jones,  showing 
a  pine  tree  on  a  white  ground,  with  "  Liberty  Tree  " 
and  "Appeal  to  God"  displayed;  these  and  other 
American  vessels  entered  upon  a  naval  war  with  the 
nation  which  even  then  was  the  greatest  of  all  sea 
powers. 


CHAPTER  II 

Paul  Jones,  the  First  Great  American  Seafighter,  but  to  the  British 
a  Pirate— In  Command  of  the  "Ranger" —  His  Invasion  of 
England. 

WITH  the  crowning  importance  of  the  later  days  of 
the  American  navy  it  is  possible  to  pass  over  hastily 
its  earlier  achievements — the  triumphs  of  Ezekiel  Hop 
kins,  Captain  Mugford,  Captain  Wickes,  and  a  host 
of  lesser  seafighters  of  the  Colonial  navy  must  be  set 
aside  for  the  more  careful  description  of  the  naval 
cruises  and  actions  which  had  a  direct  bearing  on  the 
fate  of  the  infant  nation.  That  American  privateers 
harried  the  seas,  driving  British  cruisers  to  port,  had 
its  influence,  of  course,  on  the  issue  of  the  conflict.  But 
for  the  important  naval  operations  we  must  turn  to 
the  names  of  John  Paul  Jones,  Nicholas  Biddle,  and 
Isaac  Barry. 

John  Paul  Jones  was  a  Scotchman,  born  in  July, 
1747.  By  inheritance  his  name  was  John  Paul,  and 
it  was  not  until  1773  when  residing  in  North  Carolina 
that  he  added  the  surname  of  Jones.  Almost  from 
his  earliest  days  a  seaman,  he  was  in  turn  an  apprentice, 
mate  of  a  slaver,  commander  of  merchantmen,  until, 
winning  his  way  upward  by  sheer  pertinacity,  he  be 
came  the  foremost  figure  in  the  naval  annals  of  the 
American  Revolution.  His  earlier  services  in  this 
struggle  were  as  a  privateersman,  or  in  command  of 
small  commissioned  vessels.  But  even  thus  handi 
capped  by  lacking  power  to  meet  and  give  successful 
conflict  to  any  armed  British  vessel,  he  preyed  upon 
British  commerce  in  a  way  that  struck  terror  to  ship 
owners  and  to  shippers,  and  brought  into  the  United 

10 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS          n 

Colonies  supplies  of  uncounted  value  to  Washington's 
half-clad  and  starving  army.  It  was  this  period  of 
Jones'  activity  that  led  the  British  to  dub  him  "  Paul 
Jones,  the  pirate,"  and  to  publish  broadsides  ranking 
him  with  Tench,  Blackbeard,  and  Captain  Kidd.  In 
one  brief  cruise  he  captured  sixteen  vessels;  in  another 
he  landed  on  the  British  territory  of  Nova  Scotia, 
burned  a  great  transport  and  a  warehouse  full  of  sup 
plies,  and  returned  to  port  with  five  prizes.  Exploits 
like  this  caused  Congress  to  call  upon  him  for  advice 
as  to  the  increase  and  organization  of  the  navy,  and 
on  this  task  he  spent  six  months  ashore. 

It  was  not  until  June  14,  1777,  that  a  command 
was  found  for  him.  This  was  the  eighteen-gun  ship 
"  Ranger,"  built  to  carry  a  frigate's  battery  of  twenty- 
six  guns.  She  had  been  built  for  the  revolutionary 
government,  at  Portsmouth,  and  was  a  stanch-built, 
solid  craft,  though  miserably  slow  and  somewhat  crank. 
Jones,  though  disappointed  with  the  sailing  qualities  of 
the  ship,  was  nevertheless  vastly  delighted  to  be  again 
in  command  of  a  man-of-war,  and  wasted  no  time  in 
getting  her  ready  for  sea. 

It  so  happened  that,  on  the  very  day  Paul  Jones 
received  his  commission  as  commander  of  the  u  Ran 
ger,"  the  Continental  Congress  adopted  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  for  the  national  flag.  Jones,  anticipating  this 
action,  had  prepared  a  flag  in  accordance  with  the 
proposed  designs,  and,  upon  hearing  of  the  action  of 
Congress,  had  it  run  to  the  masthead,  while  the  cannon 
of  the  "  Ranger  "  thundered  out  their  deep-mouthed 
greetings  to  the  starry  banner  destined  to  wave  over 
the  most  glorious  nation  of  the  earth.  Thus  it  hap 
pened  that  the  same  hand  that  had  given  the  pine-tree 
banner  to  the  winds  was  the  first  to  fling  out  to  the 
breezes  the  bright  folds  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

Early  in  October  the  "  Ranger "  left  Portsmouth, 


12  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

and  made  for  the  coast  of  France.  Astute  agents  of 
the  Americans  in  that  country  were  having  a  fleet,  pow 
erful  frigate  built  there  for  Jones,  which  he  was  to 
take,  leaving  the  sluggish  "  Ranger  "  to  be  sold.  But, 
on  his  arrival  at  Nantes,  Jones  was  grievously  dis 
appointed  to  learn  that  the  British  Government  had  so 
vigorously  protested  against  the  building  of  a  vessel- 
of-war  in  France  for  the  Americans,  that  the  French 
Government  had  been  obliged  to  notify  the  American 
agents  that  their  plan  must  be  abandoned.  France 
was  at  this  time  at  peace  with  Great  Britain,  and, 
though  inclined  to  be  friendly  with  the  rebellious  col 
onies,  was  not  ready  to  entirely  abandon  her  position 
as  a  neutral  power.  Later,  when  she  took  up  arms 
against  England,  she  gave  the  Americans  every  right 
in  her  ports  they  could  desire. 

Jones  thus  found  himself  in  European  waters  with 
a  vessel  too  weak  to  stand  against  the  frigates  England 
could  send  to  take  her,  and  too  slow  to  elude  them. 
But  he  determined  to  strike  some  effective  blows  for 
the  cause  of  liberty.  Accordingly  he  planned  an  enter 
prise,  which,  for  audacity  of  conception  and  dash  in 
execution,  has  never  been  equalled  by  any  naval  expedi 
tion  since. 

This  was  nothing  less  than  a  virtual  invasion  of  Eng 
land.  The  "  Ranger  "  lay  at  Brest.  Jones  planned 
to  dash  across  the  English  Channel,  and  cruise  along 
the  coast  of  England,  burning  shipping  and  towns,  as 
a  piece  of  retaliation  upon  the  British  for  their  wanton 
outrages  along  the  American  coast.  It  was  a  bold 
plan.  The  channel  was  thronged  with  the  heavy  frig 
ates  of  Great  Britain,  any  one  of  which  could  have 
annihilated  the  audacious  Yankee  cruiser.  Neverthe 
less,  Jones  determined  to  brave  the  danger. 

At  the  outset,  it  seemed  as  though  his  purpose  was 
to  be  balked  by  heavy  weather.  For  days  after  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         13 

"  Ranger  "  left  Brest,  she  battled  against  the  chop- 
seas  of  the  English  Channel.  The  sky  was  dark,  and 
the  light  of  the  sun  obscured  by  gray  clouds.  The 
wind  whistled  through  the  rigging,  and  tore  at  the 
tightly  furled  sails.  Great  green  walls  of  water,  capped 
with  snowy  foam,  beat  thunderously  against  the  sides 
of  the  "  Ranger/*  Now  and  then  a  port  would  be 
driven  in,  and  the  men  between  decks  drenched  by  the 
incoming  deluge.  The  "  Ranger  "  had  encountered  an 
equinoctial  gale  in  its  worst  form. 

When  the  gale  died  away,  Jones  found  himself  off 
the  Scilly  Islands,  in  full  view  of  the  coast  of  England. 
Here  he  encountered  a  merchantman,  which  he  took 
and  scuttled,  sending  the  crew  ashore  to  spread  the 
news  that  an  American  man-of-war  was  ravaging  the 
channel.  Having  alarmed  all  England,  he  changed 
his  hunting-ground  to  St.  George's  Channel  and  the 
Irish  Sea,  where  he  captured  several  ships;  sending  one, 
a  prize,  back  to  Brest.  He  was  in  waters  with  which 
he  had  been  familiar  from  his  youth,  and  he  made  good 
use  of  his  knowledge;  dashing  here  and  there,  lying 
in  wait  in  the  highway  of  commerce,  and  then  secreting 
himself  in  some  sequestered  cove.  All  England  was 
aroused  by  the  exploits  of  the  Yankee  cruiser.  Never 
since  the  days  of  the  Invincible  Armada  had  war  been 
so  brought  home  to  the  people  of  the  tight  little  island. 

But  Paul  Jones  showed  Great  Britain  that  her 
boasted  power  was  a  bubble.  He  ravaged  the  seas 
within  cannon-shot  of  English  headlands.  He  cap 
tured  and  burned  merchantmen,  drove  the  rates  of  in 
surance  up  to  panic  prices,  paralyzed  British  shipping- 
trade,  and  even  made  small  incursions  into  British  ter 
ritory. 

The  reports  that  reached  Jones  of  British  barbarity 
along  the  American  coast,  of  the  burning  of  Falmouth, 
of  tribute  levied  on  innumerable  seaport  towns, — all 


i4  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

aroused  in  him  a  determination  to  strike  a  retaliatory 
blow.  Soon  after,  he  entered  the  bay  of  Carrickfergus, 
on  which  is  situated  the  Irish  commercial  city  of  Bel 
fast.  The  bay  was  constantly  filled  with  merchant 
men;  and  the  "  Ranger,"  with  her  ports  closed,  and 
her  warlike  character  carefully  disguised,  excited  no 
suspicion  aboard  a  trim,  heavy-built  craft  that  lay  at 
anchor  a  little  farther  up  the  bay.  This  craft  was  the 
British  man-of-war  "  Drake,"  mounting  twenty  guns. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  bay,  Jones  learned  the 
character  of  the  "  Drake,"  and  determined  to  attempt 
her  capture  during  the  night.  Accordingly  he  dropped 
anchor  near  by,  and,  while  carefully  concealing  the 
character  of  his  craft,  made  every  preparation  for  a 
midnight  fight. 

At  ten  o'clock,  the  tramp  of  men  about  the  capstan 
gave  notice  that  the  anchor  was  being  brought  to  the 
catheads.  Soon  the  creaking  of  cordage,  and  the  snap 
ping  of  the  sails,  told  that  the  fresh  breeze  was  being 
caught  by  the  spreading  sails.  Then  the  waves  rippled 
about  the  bow  of  the  ship,  and  the  "  Ranger "  was 
fairly  under  way. 

It  was  a  pitch-dark  night,  but  the  lights  on  board  the 
"  Drake "  showed  where  she  was  lying.  On  the 
"  Ranger  "  all  lights  were  extinguished,  and  no  noise 
told  of  her  progress  towards  her  enemy.  It  was  the 
captain's  plan  to  run  his  vessel  across  the  "  Drake's  " 
cable,  drop  his  own  anchor,  let  the  "  Ranger  "  swing 
alongside  the  Englishman,  and  then  fight  it  out  at  close 
quarters.  But  this  plan,  though  well  laid,  failed  of 
execution.  The  anchor  was  not  let  fall  in  season;  and 
the  "  Ranger,"  instead  of  bringing  up  alongside  her 
enemy,  came  to  anchor  half  a  cable-length  astern.  The 
swift-flowing  tide  and  the  fresh  breeze  made  it  im 
possible  to  warp  the  ship  alongside :  so  Jones  ordered 
the  cable  cut,  and  the  "  Ranger "  scudded  down  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS          15 

bay  before  the  ever-freshening  gale.  It  does  not  ap 
pear  that  the  people  on  the  "  Drake  "  were  aware  of 
the  danger  they  so  narrowly  escaped. 

The  wind  that  had  aided  the  tide  in  defeating  Jones's 
enterprise  blew  stronger  and  stronger,  and  before  morn 
ing  the  sea  was  tossing  before  a  regular  northeast  gale. 
Against  it  the  "Ranger"  could  make  no  headway: 
so  Jones  gave  his  ship  her  head,  and  scudded  before 
the  wind  until  within  the  vicinity  of  Whitehaven,  when 
he  determined  to  again  attempt  to  destroy  the  shipping 
in  that  port.  This  time  he  was  successful.  Bringing 
the  "  Ranger  "  to  anchor  near  the  bar,  Captain  Jones 
called  for  volunteers  to  accompany  him  on  the  expedi 
tion.  He  himself  was  to  be  their  leader;  for  as  a  boy 
he  had  often  sailed  in  and  out  of  the  little  harbor, 
knew  where  the  forts  stood,  and  where  the  colliers  an 
chored  most  thickly.  The  landing  party  was  divided 
into  two  boat-loads;  Jones  taking  command  of  one, 
while  Lieutenant  Wallingford  held  the  tiller  of  the 
other  boat.  With  muffled  oars  the  Americans  made 
for  the  shore,  the  boats'  keels  grated  upon  the  pebbly 
beach,  and  an  instant  later  the  adventurers  had  scaled 
the  ramparts  of  the  forts,  and  had  made  themselves 
masters  of  the  garrisons.  All  was  done  quietly.  The 
guns  in  the  fortifications  were  spiked;  and,  leaving  the 
few  soldiers  on  guard  gagged  and  bound,  Jones  and 
his  followers  hastened  down  to  the  wharves  to  set  fire 
to  the  shipping. 

In  the  harbor  were  not  less  than  two  hundred  and 
twenty  vessels,  large  and  small.  On  the  north  side 
of  the  harbor,  near  the  forts,  were  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  vessels.  These  Jones  undertook  to  destroy. 
The  others  were  left  to  Lieutenant  Wallingford,  with 
his  boat's  crew  of  fifteen  picked  men. 

When  Jones  and  his  followers  reached  the  cluster 
of  merchantmen,  they  found  their  torches  so  far  burned 


16  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

out  as  to  be  useless.  Failure  stared  them  in  the  face 
then,  when  success  was  almost  within  their  grasp. 
Jones,  however,  was  not  to  be  balked  of  his  prey. 
Running  his  boat  ashore,  he  hastened  to  a  neighboring 
house,  where  he  demanded  candles.  With  these  he 
returned,  led  his  men  aboard  a  large  ship  from  which 
the  crew  fled,  and  deliberately  built  a  fire  in  her  hold. 
Lest  the  fire  should  go  out,  he  found  a  barrel  of  tar, 
and  threw  it  upon  the  flames.  Then  with  the  great 
ship  roaring  and  crackling,  and  surrounded  by  scores 
of  other  vessels  in  danger  from  the  flames,  Jones  with 
drew,  thinking  his  work  complete. 

Many  writers  have  criticised  Paul  Jones  for  not  hav 
ing  stayed  longer  to  complete  the  destruction  of  the 
vessels  in  the  harbor.  But,  with  the  gradually  bright 
ening  day,  his  position,  which  was  at  the  best  very 
dangerous,  was  becoming  desperate.  There  were  one 
hundred  and  fifty  vessels  in  that  part  of  the  harbor; 
the  crews  averaged  ten  men  to  a  vessel :  so  that  nearly 
fifteen  hundred  men  were  opposed  to  the  plucky  little 
band  of  Americans.  The  roar  of  the  fire  aroused  the 
people  of  the  town,  and  they  rushed  in  crowds  to  the 
wharf.  In  describing  the  affair  Jones  writes,  "  The 
inhabitants  began  to  appear  in  thousands,  and  indi 
viduals  ran  hastily  toward  us.  I  stood  between  them 
and  the  ship  on  fire,  with  my  pistol  in  my  hand,  and 
ordered  them  to  stand,  which  they  did  with  some  pre 
cipitation.  The  sun  was  a  full  hour's  march  above 
the  horizon;  and,  as  sleep  no  longer  ruled  the  world, 
it  was  time  to  retire.  We  re-embarked  without  op 
position,  having  released  a  number  of  prisoners,  as  our 
boats  could  not  carry  them.  After  all  my  people  had 
embarked,  I  stood  upon  the  pier  for  a  considerable 
space,  yet  no  person  advanced.  I  saw  all  the  eminences 
round  the  town  covered  with  the  amazed  inhabitants." 

As  his  boat  drew  away  from  the  blazing  shipping, 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS         17 

Jones  looked  anxiously  across  the  harbor  to  the  spot 
to  which  Lieutenant  Wallingford  had  been  dispatched. 
But  no  flames  were  seen  in  that  quarter;  for,  Walling- 
ford's  torches  having  gone  out,  he  had  abandoned  the 
enterprise.  And  so  the  Americans,  having  regained 
their  ship,  took  their  departure,  leaving  only  one  of 
the  enemy's  vessels  burning.  A  most  lame  and  impotent 
conclusion  it  was  indeed;  but,  as  Jones  said,  "  What 
was  done  is  sufficient  to  show  that  not  all  the  boasted 
British  navy  is  sufficient  to  protect  their  own  coasts, 
and  that  the  scenes  of  distress  which  they  have  occa 
sioned  in  America  may  soon  be  brought  home  to  their 
own  doors.' ' 


CHAPTER  III 

Career  of  Paul  Jones  Continued — His  Descent  upon  the  Castle  of 
Lord  Selkirk— The  Affair  of  the  Plate— The  Descent  upon 
Whitehaven— The  Battle  with  the  "  Drake." 

WE  now  come  to  the  glorious  part  of  the  career  of 
Paul  Jones  upon  the  ocean.  Heretofore  he  has  been 
chiefly  occupied  in  the  capture  of  defenceless  merchant 
men.  His  work  has  been  that  of  the  privateer,  even 
if  not  of  the  pirate  that  the  British  have  always  claimed 
he  was.  But  the  time  came  when  Jones  proved  that  he 
was  ready  to  fight  an  adversary  of  his  mettle;  was 
willing  to  take  heavy  blows,  and  deal  stunning  ones 
in  return.  His  daring  was  not  confined  to  dashing 
expeditions  in  which  the  danger  was  chiefly  overcome 
by  spirit  and  rapid  movements.  While  this  class  of 
operations  was  ever  a  favorite  with  the  doughty  sea 
man,  he  was  not  at  all  averse  to  the  deadly  naval  duel. 

We  shall  for  a  time  abandon  our  account  of  the 
general  naval  incidents  of  the  Revolution,  to  follow 
the  career  of  Paul  Jones  to  the  end  of  the  war.  His 
career  is  not  only  the  most  interesting,  but  the  most 
important,  feature  of  the  naval  operations  of  that  war. 
He  stands  out  alone,  a  grand  figure  in  naval  history, 
as  does  Decatur  in  the  wars  with  the  Barbary  pirates, 
or  Farragut  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  The  war  of 
1812  affords  no  such  example  of  single  greatness  in 
the  navy.  There  we  find  Perry,  McDonough,  and 
Porter,  all  equally  great.  But  in  '76  there  was  no  one 
to  stand  beside  Paul  Jones. 

When  the  "  Ranger  "  left  the  harbor  of  Whitehaven, 
her  captain  was  heavy-hearted.  He  felt  that  he  had 
had  the  opportunity  to  strike  a  heavy  blow  at  the  British 

1 8 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS          19 

shipping,  but  had  nevertheless  inflicted  only  a  trifling 
hurt.  Angry  with  himself  for  not  having  better 
planned  the  adventure,  and  discontented  with  his  lieu 
tenant  for  not  having  by  presence  of  mind  prevented 
the  fiasco,  he  felt  that  peace  of  mind  could  only  be 
obtained  by  some  deed  of  successful  daring. 

He  was  cruising  in  seas  familiar  to  him  as  a  sailor. 
Along  the  Scottish  shores  his  boyhood  hours  had  been 
spent.  This  knowledge  he  sought  to  turn  to  account. 
From  the  deck  of  his  ship,  he  could  see  the  wooded 
shores  of  St.  Mary's  Island,  on  which  were  the  landed 
estates  of  Lord  Selkirk,  a  British  noble  of  ancient 
lineage  and  political  prominence.  On  the  estate  of  this 
nobleman  Paul  Jones  was  born,  and  there  he  passed 
the  few  years  of  his  life  that  elapsed  before  he  forsook 
the  land  for  his  favorite  element. 

Leaning  against  the  rail  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
"  Ranger,"  Jones  could  see  through  his  spy-glass  the 
turrets  and  spires  of  Lord  Selkirk's  castle.  As  he 
gazed,  there  occurred  to  him  the  idea,  that  if  he  could 
send  a  landing  party  ashore,  seize  the  castle,  capture 
the  peer,  and  bear  him  off  into  captivity,  he  would  not 
only  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  British,  but 
would  give  the  Americans  a  prisoner  who  would  serve 
as  a  hostage  to  secure  good  treatment  for  the  hapless 
Americans  who  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy. 

With  Jones,  the  conception  of  a  plan  was  followed 
by  its  swift  execution.  Disdaining  to  wait  for  night 
fall,  he  chose  two  boats'  crews  of  tried  and  trusty  men, 
and  landed.  The  party  started  up  the  broad  and  open 
highway  leading  to  the  castle.  They  had  gone  but 
a  few  rods,  however,  when  they  encountered  two  coun 
trymen,  who  stared  a  moment  at  the  force  of  armed 
men,  and  then  turned  in  fear  to  escape. 

"  Halt!  "  rang  out  the  clear  voice  of  the  leader  of 


20  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  blue-jackets;  and  the  peasants  fell  upon  their  faces 
in  abject  terror.  Jones  directed  that  they  be  brought 
to  him;  and  he  questioned  them  kindly,  setting  their 
minds  at  rest,  and  learning  from  them  much  of  the 
castle  and  its  inmates.  Lord  Selkirk  was  away  from 
home.  This  to  Jones  was  bitter  news.  It  seemed 
as  though  some  evil  genius  was  dogging  his  footsteps, 
bringing  failure  upon  his  most  carefully  planned  enter 
prises.  But  he  was  not  a  man  to  repine  over  the  in 
evitable,  and  he  promptly  ordered  his  men  to  the  right 
about,  and  made  for  the  landing-place  again. 

But  the  sailors  were  not  so  unselfish  in  their  motives 
as  their  captain.  They  had  come  ashore  expecting 
to  plunder  the  castle  of  the  earl,  and  they  now  mur 
mured  loudly  over  the  abandonment  of  the  adventure. 
They  saw  the  way  clear  before  them.  No  guards  pro 
tected  the  house.  The  massive  ancestral  plate,  with 
which  all  English  landed  families  are  well  provided, 
was  unprotected  by  bolts  or  bars.  They  felt  that, 
in  retreating,  they  were  throwing  away  a  chance  to 
despoil  their  enemy,  and  enrich  themselves. 

Jones  felt  the  justice  of  the  complaint  of  the  sailors; 
but  only  after  a  fierce  struggle  with  his  personal  scruples 
could  he  yield  the  point.  The  grounds  of  the  Earl 
of  Selkirk  had  been  his  early  playground.  A  lodge 
on  the  vast  estate  had  been  his  childhood's  home.  Lady 
Selkirk  had  shown  his  family  many  kindnesses.  To 
now  come  to  her  house  as  a  robber  and  pillager,  seemed 
the  blackest  ingratitude;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
had  no  right  to  permit  his  personal  feelings  to  interfere 
with  his  duty  to  the  crew.  The  sailors  had  followed 
him  into  danger  many  a  time,  and  this  was  their  first 
opportunity  for  financial  reward.  With  a  sigh  Jones 
abandoned  his  intention  of  protecting  the  property  of 
Lady  Selkirk,  and  ordered  his  lieutenant  to  proceed  to 
the  castle,  and  capture  the  family  plate.  Jones  him- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         21 

self  returned  to  the  ship,  resolved  to  purchase  the  spoils 
at  open  sale,  and  return  them  to  their  former  owner. 

The  blue-jackets  continued  their  way  up  the  high 
way,  and,  turning  aside  where  a  heavy  gate  opened 
into  a  stately  grove,  demanded  of  an  old  man  who 
came,  wondering,  out  of  the  lodge,  that  he  give  them 
instant  admittance.  Then,  swinging  into  a  trot,  they 
ran  along  the  winding  carriage-drive  until  they  came 
out  on  the  broad  lawn  that  extended  in  front  of  the 
castle.  Here  for  the  first  time  they  were  seen  by  the 
inmates  of  the  castle;  and  faint  screams  of  fear,  and 
shouts  of  astonishment,  came  from  the  open  windows 
of  the  stately  pile.  The  men-servants  came  rushing 
out  to  discover  who  the  lawless  crowd  that  so  violated 
the  sanctity  of  an  English  earl's  private  park  could  be; 
but  their  curiosity  soon  abated  when  a  few  stout  blue 
jackets,  cutlass  and  pistol  in  hand,  surrounded  them, 
and  bade  them  keep  quiet.  The  lieutenant,  with  two 
stout  seamen  at  his  back,  then  entered  the  castle,  and 
sought  out  the  mistress,  who  received  him  with  calm 
courtesy,  with  a  trace  of  scorn,  but  with  no  sign  of  fear. 

Briefly  the  lieutenant  told  his  errand.  The  countess 
gave  an  order  to  a  butler,  and  soon  a  line  of  stout 
footmen  entered,  bearing  the  plate.  Heavy  salvers  en 
graved  with  the  family  arms  of  Lord  Selkirk,  quaint 
drinking-cups  and  flagons  curiously  carved,  ewers,  gob 
lets,  platters,  covers,  dishes,  teapots,  and  all  kinds  of 
table  utensils  were  there,  all  of  exquisitely  artistic  work 
manship,  and  bearing  the  stamp  of  antiquity.  When 
all  was  ready,  the  lieutenant  called  in  two  of  the  sailors 
from  the  lawn;  and  soon  the  whole  party,  bearing  the 
captured  treasure,  disappeared  in  the  curves  of  the  road. 

A  few  weeks  later,  the  captured  plate  was  put  up 
for  sale  by  the  prize  agents.  Captain  Jones,  though 
not  a  rich  man,  bought  it,  and  returned  it  to  the  count 
ess.  Lord  Selkirk,  in  acknowledging  its  receipt,  wrote : 


22  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

"  And  on  all  occasions,  both  now  and  formerly,  I 
have  done  you  the  justice  to  tell  that  you  made  an 
offer  of  returning  the  plate  very  soon  after  your  return 
to  Brest;  and  although  you  yourself  were  not  at  my 
house,  but  remained  at  the  shore  with  your  boat,  that 
you  had  your  officers  and  men  in  such  extraordinary 
good  discipline,  that  your  having  given  them  the  strict 
est  orders  to  behave  well, — to  do  no  injury  of  any 
kind,  to  make  no  search,  but  only  to  bring  off  what 
plate  was  given  them, — that  in  reality  they  did  exactly 
as  was  ordered;  and  that  not  one  man  offered  to  stir 
from  his  post  on  the  outside  of  the  house,  nor  entered 
the  doors,  nor  said  an  uncivil  word;  that  the  two  offi 
cers  stayed  not  one-quarter  of  an  hour  in  the  parlor 
and  in  the  butler's  pantry  while  the  butler  got  the  plate 
together,  behaved  politely,  and  asked  for  nothing  but 
the  plate,  and  instantly  marched  their  men  off  in  regular 
order;  and  that  both  officers  and  men  behaved  in  all 
respects  so  well,  that  it  would  have  done  credit  to  the 
best-disciplined  troops  whatever." 

But  the  British  took  little  notice  of  the  generous 
reparation  made  by  Captain  Jones,  and  continued  to 
describe  him  as  pirate,  ruffian,  and  murderer. 

Some  weeks  before,  Jones  had  tried  to  destroy  the 
British  man-of-war  "  Drake  "  in  the  harbor  of  Carrick- 
fergus,  but  was  defeated  by  an  unlucky  combination 
of  unfavorable  tide  and  wind.  Yet  he  was  determined 
not  to  leave  those  waters  without  some  greater  achieve 
ment  than  shore  raids  and  the  destruction  of  merchant 
men.  So  he  set  forth  to  find  the  "  Drake,"  and  by 
a  happy  coincidence  the  "  Drake  "  put  forth  to  find 
him.  They  met  at  the  mouth  of  Carrickfergus  harbor. 

The  "  Drake  "  promptly  sent  out  a  boat  to  examine 
the  strange  craft,  and  report  upon  her  character.  Jones 
saw  her  coming,  and  resolved  to  throw  her  off  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         23 

scent.  Accordingly,  by  skilful  seamanship,  he  kept 
the  stern  of  the  "  Ranger  "  continually  presented  to 
the  prying  eyes  in  the  British  boat.  Turn  which  way 
they  might,  be  as  swift  their  manoeuvres  as  they 
might,  the  British  scouts  could  see  nothing  of  the 
"  Ranger  "  but  her  stern,  pierced  with  two  cabin  win 
dows,  as  might  be  the  stern  of  any  merchantman.  Her 
sides,  dotted  with  frowning  ports,  were  kept  securely 
hidden  from  their  eyes. 

Though  provided  with  spy-glasses,  the  people  in  the 
boat  were  totally  deceived.  Unsuspectingly  they  came 
up  under  the  stern  of  the  "  Ranger,"  and  demanded 
to  come  on  board.  As  the  officer  in  command  clam 
bered  up  a  rope,  and  vaulted  the  taffrail  to  the  quarter 
deck,  he  saw  Paul  Jones  and  his  lieutenants,  in  full 
uniform,  standing  before  him. 

"Why, — why,  what  ship's  this?"  stammered  the 
astonished  officer. 

"  This  is  the  American  Continental  ship  *  Ranger,' 
and  you  are  my  prisoner,"  responded  Jones;  and  at 
the  words  a  few  sailors,  with  cutlasses  and  pistols, 
called  to  the  men  in  the  boat  alongside,  to  come  aboard 
and  give  themselves  up. 

From  his  captives  Jones  learned  that  the  news  of 
the  Whitehaven  raid  had  reached  the  "  Drake  "  only 
the  night  before;  and  that  she  had  been  re-enforcing 
her  crew  with  volunteers,  preparatory  to  going  out 
in  search  of  the  "  Ranger."  As  he  stood  talking  to 
the  captured  British  naval  officer,  Jones  noticed  slender 
columns  of  smoke  rising  from  the  woods  on  neighbor 
ing  highlands,  where  he  knew  there  were  no  houses. 

"  What  does  that  mean?  "  he  asked. 

"  Alarm  fires,  sir,"  answered  the  captive;  "  the  news 
of  your  descent  upon  Whitehaven  is  terrifying  the  whole 
country." 

Soon,  however,  the  attention  of  the  Americans  was 


24  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

diverted  from  the  signal-fires  to  the  "  Drake/*  An 
appearance  of  life  and  bustle  was  observable  about  the 
boat.  The  shrill  notes  of  the  boatswain's  whistle,  and 
the  tramp  of  men  about  the  capstan,  came  faintly  over 
the  waters.  The  rigging  was  full  of  sailors,  and  the 
sails  were  being  quickly  spread  to  catch  the  fresh 
breeze.  Soon  the  ship  began  to  move  slowly  from 
her  anchorage;  she  heeled  a  little  to  one  side,  and, 
responsive  to  her  helm,  turned  down  the  bay.  She 
was  coming  out  to  look  after  her  lost  boat. 

Jones  determined  to  hold  his  ground,  and  give  battle 
to  the  Englishman. 

At  length  the  "  Drake  "  emerged  from  the  narrow 
channel  of  the  harbor,  and  coming  within  hailing  dis 
tance  of  the  "  Ranger,"  ran  up  the  flag  of  England, 
and  hailed: 

"What  ship  is  that?" 

Paul  Jones,  himself  standing  on  the  taffrail,  made 
answer : 

"  This  is  the  American  Continental  ship  '  Ranger.' 
We  are  waiting  for  you.  The  sun  is  but  little  more 
than  an  hour  from  setting.  It  is  therefore  time  to 
begin." 

The  "  Drake  "  lay  with  her  bow  towards  the  "  Ran 
ger,"  and  a  little  astern.  As  Jones  finished  speaking, 
he  turned  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  and  said,  "  Put 
your  helm  up.  Up,  I  say !  " 

Quickly  responsive  to  her  helm,  the  vessel  swung 
round;  and,  as  her  broadside  came  to  bear,  she  let  fly 
a  full  broadside  of  solid  shot  into  the  crowded  decks 
and  hull  of  the  "  Drake."  Through  timbers  and 
planks,  flesh  and  bone,  the  iron  hail  rushed,  leaving 
death,  wounds,  and  destruction  in  its  path.  The  volun 
teers  that  the  "  Drake "  had  added  to  her  crew  so 
crowded  the  decks,  that  the  execution  was  fearful.  It 
seemed  as  though  every  shot  found  a  human  mark. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         25 

But  the  British  were  not  slow  to  return  the  fire,,  and 
the  roar  of  their  broadside  was  heard  before  the  thunder 
of  the  American  fire  had  ceased  to  reverberate  among 
the  hills  along  the  shore. 

Then  followed  a  desperate  naval  duel.  The  tide 
of  victory  flowed  now  this  way,  and  now  that.  Jones 
kept  his  ship  at  close  quarters  with  the  enemy,  and 
stood  on  the  quarter-deck  urging  on  his  gunners,  now 
pointing  out  some  vulnerable  spot,  now  applauding  a 
good  shot,  at  one  time  cheering,  and  at  another  swear 
ing,  watching  every  movement  of  his  foe,  and  giving 
quick  but  wise  orders  to  his  helmsman,  his  whole  mind 
concentrated  upon  the  course  of  battle,  and  with  never 
a  thought  for  his  own  safety. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  battle  raged,  but  the 
superior  gunnery  of  the  Americans  soon  began  to  tell. 
The  "  Drake  "  fought  under  no  colors,  her  ensign  hav 
ing  been  shot  away  early  in  the  action.  But  the  spirited 
manner  in  which  her  guns  were  worked  gave  assurance 
that  she  had  not  struck.  The  American  fire  had 
wrought  great  execution  on  the  deck  of  the  English 
man.  Her  captain  was  desperately  wounded  early  in 
the  fight;  and  the  first  lieutenant,  who  took  his  place, 
was  struck  down  by  a  musket-ball  from  the  "  Ranger's  " 
tops.  The  cock-pit  of  the  "  Drake "  was  like  a 
butcher's  shambles,  so  bespattered  was  it  with  blood. 
But  on  the  "  Ranger  "  there  was  little  execution.  The 
brave  Wallingford,  Jones's  first  lieutenant  and  right- 
hand  man,  was  killed  early  in  the  action,  and  one  poor 
fellow  accompanied  him  to  his  long  account;  but  be 
yond  this  there  were  no  deaths.  Six  men  only  were 
wounded. 

The  sun  was  just  dipping  the  lower  edge  of  its  great 
red  circle  beneath  the  watery  horizon,  when  the 
"  Drake  "  began  to  show  signs  of  failing.  First  her 
fire  slackened.  A  few  guns  would  go  off  at  a  time, 


26  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

followed  by  a  long  silence.  That  portion  of  her  masts 
which  was  visible  above  the  clouds  of  gunpowder-smoke 
showed  plainly  the  results  of  American  gunnery.  The 
sails  were  shot  to  ribbons.  The  cordage  cut  by  the 
flying  shot  hung  loosely  down,  or  was  blown  out  by  the 
breeze.  The  spars  were  shattered,  and  hung  out  of 
place.  The  mainmast  canted  to  leeward,  and  was  in 
imminent  danger  of  falling.  The  jib  had  been  shot 
away  entirely,  and  was  trailing  in  the  water  alongside 
the  ship. 

Gradually  the  fire  of  the  u  Drake  "  slackened,  until 
at  last  it  had  ceased  altogether.  Noticing  this,  Cap 
tain  Jones  gave  orders  to  cease  firing;  and  soon  silence 
reigned  over  the  bay  that  had  for  an  hour  resounded 
with  the  thunder  of  cannon.  As  the  smoke  that  en 
veloped  the  two  ships  cleared  away,  the  people  on  the 
"  Ranger "  could  see  an  officer  standing  on  the  rail 
of  the  u  Drake  "  waving  a  white  flag.  At  the  sight 
a  mighty  huzza  went  up  from  the  gallant  lads  on  the 
Yankee  ship,  which  was,  however,  quickly  checked  by 
Jones. 

u  Have  you  struck  your  flag?  "  he  shouted  through 
a  speaking-trumpet. 

"  We  have,   sir,"  was  the  response. 

"  Then  lay  by  until  I  send  a  boat  aboard,"  directed 
Captain  Jones;  and  soon  after  a  cutter  put  off  from 
the  side  of  the  "  Ranger,"  and  made  for  the  captured 
ship. 

The  boarding-officer  clambered  over  the  bulwarks  of 
the  "  Drake,"  and,  veteran  naval  officer  as  he  was, 
started  in  amazement  at  the  scene  of  bloodshed  before 
him.  He  had  left  a  ship  on  which  were  two  dead 
and  six  wounded  men.  He  had  come  to  a  ship  on 
which  were  forty  men  either  dead  or  seriously  wounded. 
Two  dismounted  cannon  lay  across  the  deck,  one  resting 
on  the  shattered  and  bleeding  fragments  of  a  man  torn 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         27 

to  pieces  by  a  heavy  shot.  The  deck  was  slippery 
with  blood.  The  cock-pit  was  not  large  enough  to 
hold  all  the  wounded;  and  many  sufferers  lay  on  the 
deck  crying  piteously  for  aid,  and  surrounded  by  the 
mangled  bodies  of  their  dead  comrades.  The  body 
of  the  captain,  who  had  died  of  his  wound,  lay  on 
the  deserted  quarter-deck. 

Hastily  the  American  officer  noted  the  condition  of 
the  prize,  and  returned  to  his  own  ship  for  aid.  All 
the  boats  of  the  "  Ranger  "  were  then  lowered,  and 
in  the  growing  darkness  the  work  of  taking  possession 
of  the  prize  began.  Most  of  the  prisoners  were  trans 
ferred  to  the  "  Ranger."  The  dead  were  thrown  over 
board  without  burial  service  or  ceremony  of  any  kind, 
such  is  the  grim  earnestness  of  war.  Such  of  the 
wounded  as  could  not  be  taken  care  of  in  the  sick 
bay  of  the  "  Drake  "  were  transferred  to  the  "  Ran 
ger."  The  decks  were  scrubbed,  holystoned,  and 
sprinkled  with  hot  vinegar  to  take  away  the  smell  of 
the  blood-soaked  planks.  Cordage  was  spliced,  sails 
mended,  shot-holes  plugged  up ;  and,  by  the  time  morn 
ing  came,  the  two  ships  were  sufficiently  repaired  to 
be  ready  to  leave  the  bay. 

But,  before  leaving,  Captain  Jones  set  at  liberty  two 
fishermen,  whom  he  had  captured  several  days  before, 
and  held  prisoners  lest  they  should  spread  the  news 
of  his  presence  in  those  parts.  While  the  fishermen 
had  been  taken  on  board  the  "  Ranger,"  and  treated 
with  the  utmost  kindness,  their  boat  had  been  made 
fast  alongside.  Unluckily,  however,  the  stormy 
weather  had  torn  the  boat  from  its  fastenings;  and  it 
foundered  before  the  eyes  of  its  luckless  owners,  who 
bitterly  bewailed  their  hard  fate  as  they  saw  their  craft 
disappear.  But,  when  they  came  to  leave  the  "  Ran 
ger,"  their  sorrow  was  turned  to  joy;  for  Jones  gave 
them  money  enough  to  buy  for  them  a  new  boat  and 


28  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

outfit, — a   bit  of  liberality  very  characteristic   of  the 
man. 

All  Europe  now  rang  with  the  praises  of  Paul  Jones. 
Looked  at  in  the  calm  light  of  history,  his  achievements 
do  not  appear  so  very  remarkable.  But  it  is  none  the 
less  true  that  they  have  never  been  paralleled.  Before 
the  day  of  Paul  Jones,  no  hostile  vessel  had  ever  swept 
the  English  Channel  and  Irish  Sea  clear  of  British 
merchantmen.  And  since  the  day  of  Paul  Jones  the 
exploit  has  never  been  repeated,  save  by  the  little  Amer 
ican  brig  "  Argus  "  in  the  War  of  1812.  But  neither 
before  nor  since  the  day  of  Paul  Jones  has  the  spectacle 
of  a  British  ship  in  an  English  port,  blazing  with  fire 
applied  by  the  torches  of  an  enemy,  been  seen.  And 
no  other  man  than  Paul  Jones  has,  for  several  cen 
turies,  led  an  invading  force  down  the  level  highways, 
and  across  the  green  fields,  of  England. 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Career  of  Paul  Jones  Continued— His  Search  for  a  Ship — 
Given  Command  of  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard  "— Landais  and 
His  Character— The  Frustrated  Mutiny— Landais  Quarrels  with 
Jones— Edinburgh  and  Leith  Threatened— The  Dominie's 
Prayer— The  Battle  with  the  "Serapis." 

WHEN  Paul  Jones  arrived  at  Brest,  bringing  the  cap 
tured  u  Drake,"  he  found  the  situation  of  affairs  materi 
ally  altered.  France  had  acknowledged  the  independence 
of  the  American  Colonies,  and  had  openly  espoused 
their  cause  as  against  that  of  Great  Britain.  It  was 
no  longer  necessary  to  resort  to  cunning  deceptions  to 
buy  a  warship  or  sell  a  prize  in  a  French  port.  French 
vessels,  manned  by  French  crews  and  commanded  by 
French  officers,  were  putting  to  sea  to  strike  a  blow 
against  the  British.  French  troops  were  being  sent 
to  America.  The  Stars  and  Stripes  waved  by  the 
side  of  the  fleur  de  lys;  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  the 
American  envoy,  was  the  lion  of  French  society,  and 
the  idol  of  the  Parisian  mob. 

Paul  Jones  saw  in  this  friendship  of  France  for  the 
struggling  colonies  his  opportunity.  Heretofore  he 
had  been  condemned  to  command  only  slow-going,  weak 
ships.  He  had  been  hampered  by  a  lack  of  funds  for 
the  payment  of  his  crew  and  the  purchase  of  provisions. 
More  than  once  the  inability  of  the  impoverished  Con 
tinental  Congress  to  provide  the  sinews  of  war  had 
forced  him  to  go  down  into  his  own  purse  for  the  nec 
essary  funds.  All  this  period  of  penury  he  now  felt 
was  past.  He  could  rely  upon  the  king  of  France  for 
a  proper  vessel,  and  the  funds  with  which  to  prosecute 
his  work  on  the  seas. 

29 


30  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

But  the  sturdy  seaman  soon  found  how  vexatious  is 
the  lot  of  him  who  depends  upon  the  bounty  of  mon- 
archs.  Ship  after  ship  was  put  in  commission,  but  no 
command  was  tendered  to  the  distinguished  American. 
The  French  naval  officers  had  first  to  be  attended  to. 
Jones  made  earnest  appeals  to  the  minister  of  the 
marine.  He  brought  every  possible  influence  to  bear. 
His  claims  were  urged  by  Dr.  Franklin,  but  all  to  no 
avail. 

Five  months  of  waiting  and  ceaseless  solicitation  of 
the  authorities  still  left  the  sailor,  who  had  won  so 
many  victories,  stranded  in  shameful  inactivity.  He 
had  shrunk  from  a  personal  interview  with  the  king, 
trusting  rather  to  the  efforts  of  his  friends,  many  of 
whom  were  in  high  favor  at  Versailles.  But  one  day 
he  happened  to  light  upon  an  old  copy  of  "  Poor 
Richard's  Almanac,"  that  unique  publication  in  which 
Benjamin  Franklin  printed  so  many  wise  maxims  and 
witty  sayings.  As  Jones  listlessly  turned  its  pages,  his 
eye  fell  upon  the  maxim : 

"  If  you  wish  to  have  any  business  done  faithfully 
and  expeditiously,  go  and  do  it  yourself.  Otherwise, 
send  some  one." 

Shutting  the  book,  and  dashing  it  to  the  floor,  Jones 
sprang  to  his  feet  exclaiming,  "  I  will  go  to  Versailles 
this  very  day."  Before  night  he  set  out,  and  soon 
reached  the  royal  court.  His  reputation  easily  gained 
him  an  interview;  and  his  frank,  self-reliant  way  so 
impressed  the  monarch,  that  in  five  days  the  American 
was  tendered  the  command  of  the  ship  "  Daras," 
mounting  forty  guns. 

Great  was  the  exultation  of  the  American  seaman 
at  this  happy  termination  of  his  labor.  Full  of  grati 
tude  to  the  distinguished  philosopher  whose  advice  had 
proved  so  effective,  he  wrote  to  the  minister  of  marine, 
begging  permission  to  change  the  name  of  the  vessel 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         31 

to  the  "  Poor  Richard,"  or,  translated  into  French,  the 
"  Bon  Homme  Richard."  Permission  was  readily 
granted;  and  thereafter  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard," 
with  Paul  Jones  on  the  quarter-deck,  did  valiant  work 
for  the  cause  of  the  young  American  Republic. 

While  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard  "  was  being  made 
ready  for  sea,  the  vessels  that  were  to  sail  with  her  as 
consorts  were  making  for  the  rendezvous  at  1'Orient. 
These  vessels  were  the  "  Pallas,"  "  Cerf,"  "  Venge 
ance,"  and  "  Alliance."  The  three  former  were  small 
vessels,  built  in  France,  and  manned  wholly  by  French 
men.  The  "  Alliance "  was  a  powerful,  well-built 
American  frigate,  carrying  an  American  crew,  but  com 
manded  by  a  French  officer — Captain  Landais. 

The  choice  of  Landais  to  command  was  unfortunate. 
American  sailors  would  not  ship  under  a  Frenchman. 
The  result  was  a  crew  of  mixed  nationalities,  who  were 
barely  defeated  in  an  attempt  to  take  the  ship  by 
mutiny.  But  more  than  that,  Landais  was  jealous, 
selfish,  and  eccentric  to  the  point  of  insanity,  as  the 
later  course  of  this  narrative  will  show.  The  first 
brief  cruise  from  1'Orient  brought  nothing  but  disaster. 
The  u  Cerf "  did  indeed  take  a  small  prize,  but  it 
was  retaken  by  a  British  frigate,  and  after  an  impotent 
two  months  all  the  vessels  returned  to  1'Orient.  Here 
they  lay  until  the  middle  of  August.  More  than  three 
months  had  passed  since  Jones  had  been  given  com 
mand  of  the  "  Richard."  Most  of  the  time  had  been 
spent  in  port.  The  little  cruising  that  had  been  done 
had  been  unproductive  of  results.  Dissension  and 
jealousy  made  the  squadron  absolutely  ineffective.  As 
for  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard,"  she  had  proved  a 
failure;  being  unable  to  overhaul  the  enemy  that  she 
wished  to  engage,  or  escape  from  the  man-of-war  she 
might  wish  to  avoid.  Jones  saw  his  reputation  fast 
slipping  away  from  him.  Bitterly  he  bewailed  the  fate 


32  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

that  had  put  him  at  the  mercy  of  a  lot  of  quarrel 
some  Frenchmen.  He  determined  that  when  once 
again  he  got  to  sea  he  would  ignore  his  consorts, 
and  fight  the  battles  of  his  country  with  his  own  ship 
only. 

It  was  on  the  I4th  of  August  that  the  squadron 
weighed  anchor  and  left  the  harbor  of  1'Orient.  The 
"  Richard  "  was  greatly  strengthened  by  the  addition 
to  her  crew  of  about  one  hundred  American  seamen, 
who  had  been  sent  to  France  from  England  in  ex 
change  for  a  number  of  English  prisoners.  With  her 
sailed  the  same  vessels  that  had  previously  made  up 
the  squadron,  together  with  two  French  privateers, — 
the  "  Monsieur  "  and  the  "  Granville."  Four  days 
after  sailing,  a  large  French  ship  in  charge  of  a  British 
prize-crew  was  sighted.  The  whole  squadron  gave 
chase;  and  the  "Monsieur,"  being  the  swiftest  sailer 
of  the  fleet,  recaptured  the  prize.  Then  arose  a  quar 
rel.  The  privateersmen  claimed  that  the  prize  was 
theirs  alone.  They  had  captured  it,  and  the  regular 
naval  officers  had  no  authority  over  them.  To  this 
Captain  Jones  vigorously  demurred,  and,  taking  the 
prize  from  its  captors,  sent  it  to  FOrient  to  be  dis 
posed  of  in  accordance  with  the  laws.  In  high  dudgeon, 
the  privateers  vowed  vengeance,  and  that  night  the 
"  Monsieur  "  left  the  squadron.  She  was  a  fine,  fast 
vessel,  mounting  forty  guns;  and  her  departure  greatly 
weakened  the  fleet. 

A  few  days  later  a  second  serious  loss  was  encoun 
tered.  The  fleet  was  lying  off  Cape  Clear,  only  a 
few  miles  from  the  shore.  The  day  was  perfectly 
calm.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  ruffled  the  calm  surface 
of  the  water.  The  sails  flapped  idly  against  the  mast. 
The  sailors  lay  about  the  decks,  trying  to  keep  cool, 
and  lazily  watching  the  distant  shore.  Far  off  in  the 
distance  a  white  sail  glimmered  on  the  horizon.  It 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         33 

showed  no  sign  of  motion,  and  was  clearly  becalmed. 
After  some  deliberation,  Captain  Jones  determined  to 
attempt  to  capture  the  stranger  by  means  of  boats. 
The  two  largest  boats,  manned  with  crews  of  picked 
men,  were  sent  out  to  hail  the  vessel,  and,  if  she  proved 
to  be  an  enemy,  to  capture  her.  In  this  they  were 
successful,  and  returned  next  day,  bringing  the  captured 
craft. 

But,  while  the  two  boats  were  still  out  after  the 
enemy's  ship,  the  tide  changed;  and  Captain  Jones  soon 
saw  that  his  ship  was  in  danger  from  a  powerful  cur 
rent,  that  seemed  to  be  sweeping  her  on  shore.  A  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  ship,  two  dangerous  reefs, 
known  as  the  Skallocks  and  the  Blasketts,  reared  their 
black  heads  above  the  calm  surface  of  the  sea.  To 
ward  these  rocks  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard "  was 
drifting,  when  Jones,  seeing  the  danger,  ordered  out 
two  boats  to  tow  the  ship  to  a  less  perilous  position. 
As  the  best  men  of  the  crew  had  been  sent  away  to 
capture  the  brig,  the  crews  of  the  two  boats  were  made 
up  of  the  riff-raff  of  the  crew.  Many  of  them  were 
Englishmen,  mere  mercenary  sailors,  who  had  shipped 
on  the  "  Richard,"  secretly  intending  to  desert  at  the 
first  opportunity.  Therefore,  when  night  fell,  as  they 
were  still  in  the  boats  trying  to  pull  the  "  Richard's  " 
head  around,  they  cut  the  ropes  and  made  off  for  the 
shore. 

The  desertion  was  discovered  immediately.  The 
night  was  clear,  and  by  the  faint  light  of  the  stars  the 
course  of  the  receding  boats  could  be  traced.  The 
sailing-master  of  the  "  Richard,"  a  Mr.  Trent,  being 
the  first  to  discover  the  treachery,  sprang  into  a  boat 
with  a  few  armed  men,  and  set  out  in  hot  pursuit. 
The  bow-gun  of  the  u  Richard  "  was  hastily  trained 
on  the  deserters,  and  a  few  cannon-shot  sent  after  them; 
but  without  effect.  Before  the  pursuing  boat  could 


34  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

overhaul  the  fugitives,  a  dense  bank  of  gray  fog  settled 
over  the  water,  and  pursued  and  pursuers  were  hidden 
from  each  other  and  from  the  gaze  of  those  on  the 
man-of-war.  All  night  long  the  fog,  like  a  moist,  im 
penetrable  curtain,  rested  on  the  ocean.  The  next  day 
the  "  Cerf  "  set  out  to  find  the  missing  boats.  As  she 
neared  the  shore,  to  avoid  raising  an  alarm,  she  hoisted 
British  colors.  Hardly  had  she  done  so  when  she  was 
seen  by  Trent  and  his  companions.  The  fog  made 
the  outlines  of  the  cutter  indistinct,  and  magnified  her 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Americans,  so  that  they  mistook 
her  for  an  English  man-of-war.  To  avoid  what  they 
thought  would  lead  to  certain  capture  on  the  water, 
they  ran  their  boat  ashore,  and  speedily  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  British  coast  guard.  They  were  at  once 
thrown  into  prison,  where  the  unfortunate  Trent  soon 
died.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  exchanged  later  in 
the  war. 

The  loss  of  the  boats,  and  capture  of  Mr.  Trent  and 
his  followers,  were  not  the  only  unfortunate  results  of 
this  incident;  for  the  "  Cerf  "  became  lost  in  the  fog, 
and  before  she  could  rejoin  the  fleet  a  violent  gale 
sprang  up,  and  she  was  carried  back  to  the  coast  of 
France.  She  never  returned  to  join  the  fleet,  and  Jones 
found  his  force  again  depleted. 

But  the  effective  force  of  the  squadron  under  the 
command  of  Paul  Jones  was  weakened  far  more  by  the 
eccentric  and  mutinous  actions  of  Captain  Landais  of 
the  "  Alliance "  than  by  any  losses  by  desertion  or 
capture.  When  the  news  of  the  loss  of  two  boats 
by  desertion  reached  the  "  Alliance/1  Landais  straight 
way  went  to  the  "  Richard,"  and  entering  the  cabin 
began  to  upbraid  Jones  in  unmeasured  terms  for  having 
lost  two  boats  through  his  folly  in  sending  boats  to 
capture  a  brig. 

u  It  is  not  true,  Captain  Landais,"  answered  Jones, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         35 

"  that  the  boats  which  are  lost  are  the  two  which  were 
sent  to  capture  the  brig." 

u  Do  you  tell  me  I  lie?  "  screamed  the  Frenchman, 
white  with  anger.  His  officers  strove  to  pacify  him, 
but  without  avail;  and  he  left  the  "  Richard"  vowing 
that  he  would  challenge  Captain  Jones,  and  kill  him. 
Shortly  thereafter  the  "  Richard "  captured  a  very 
valuable  prize, — a  ship  mounting  twenty-two  guns,  and 
loaded  with  sails,  rigging,  anchors,  cables,  and  other 
essential  articles  for  the  navy  Great  Britain  was  build 
ing  on  the  Lakes.  By  desertion  and  other  causes,  the 
crew  of  the  "  Richard  "  was  greatly  depleted,  and  not 
enough  men  could  be  spared  to  man  the  prize.  Jones 
applied  to  Landais  for  aid.  In  response  the  French 
man  said: 

"  If  it  is  your  wish  that  I  should  take  charge  of  the 
prize,  I  shall  not  allow  any  boat  or  any  individual  from 
the  '  Bon  Homme  Richard '  to  go  near  her." 

To  this  absurd  stipulation  Jones  agreed.  Landais, 
having  thus  assumed  complete  charge  of  the  prize, 
showed  his  incompetence  by  sending  her,  together  with 
a  prize  taken  by  the  "  Alliance,"  to  Bergen  in  Norway. 
The  Danish  Government,  being  on  friendly  terms  with 
England,  immediately  surrendered  the  vessels  to  the, 
British  ambassador;  and  the  cause  of  the  young  republic 
was  cheated  of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  dol 
lars  through  the  insane  negligence  of  the  French  captain. 

On  the  1 5th  of  September,  the  three  vessels  lay  off 
the  port  of  Leith,  a  thriving  city,  which  was  then, 
as  now,  the  seaport  for  the  greater  city  of  Edinburgh, 
which  stands  a  little  farther  inland.  Jones  had  come 
to  this  point  cherishing  one  of  those  daring  plans  of 
which  his  mind  was  so  fertile.  He  had  learned  that 
the  harbor  was  full  of  shipping,  and  defended  only  by 
a  single  armed  vessel  of  twenty  guns.  Shore  batteries 
there  were  none.  The  people  of  the  town  were  resting 


36  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

in  fancied  security,  and  had  no  idea  that  the  dreaded 
Paul  Jones  was  at  their  very  harbor's  mouth.  It  would 
have  been  an  easy  matter  for  the  three  cruisers  to  make 
a  dash  into  the  harbor,  take  some  distinguished  pris 
oners,  demand  a  huge  ransom,  fire  the  shipping,  and 
escape  again  to  the  open  sea.  Had  Jones  been  in 
reality,  as  he  was  in  name,  the  commander  of  the  little 
fleet,  the  exploit  would  have  been  performed.  But 
the  lack  of  authority  which  had  hampered  him  through 
out  his  cruise  paralyzed  him  here.  By  the  time  he 
had  overcome  the  timid  objections  of  the  captains  of 
the  "  Vengeance  "  and  the  "  Pallas,''  all  Leith  was 
aroused.  Still  Jones  persevered.  His  arrangements 
were  carefully  perfected.  Troops  were  to  be  landed 
under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chamillard, 
who  was  to  lay  before  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  town 
the  following  letter,  written  by  Jones  himself: 

I  do  not  wish  to  distress  the  poor  inhabitants.  My  intention  is 
only  to  demand  your  contribution  toward  the  reimbursement  which 
Britain  owes  to  the  much  injured  citizens  of  America.  Savages 
would  blush  at  the  unmanly  violation  and  rapacity  that  have  marked 
the  tracks  of  British  tyranny  in  America,  from  which  neither  virgin 
innocence  nor  helpless  age  has  been  a  plea  of  protection  or  pity. 

Leith  and  its  port  now  lay  at  our  mercy.  And  did  not  the  plea 
of  humanity  stay  the  just  hand  of  retaliation,  1  should  without 
advertisement  lay  it  in  ashes.  Before  I  proceed  to  that  stern  duty 
as  an  officer,  my  duty  as  a  man  induces  me  to  propose  to  you,  by 
means  of  a  reasonable  ransom,  to  prevent  such  a  scene  of  horror 
and  distress.  For  this  reason,  I  have  authorized  Lieutenant-Colonel 
de  Chamillard  to  agree  with  you  on  the  terms  of  ransom,  allowing 
you  exactly  half  an  hour's  reflection  before  you  finally  accept  or 
reject  the  terms  which  he  shall  propose. 

The  landing  parties  having  been  chosen,  the  order 
of  attack  mapped  out,  and  part  to  be  taken  by  each 
boat's  crew  accurately  defined,  the  three  vessels  ad 
vanced  to  the  attack.  It  was  a  bright  Sunday  morning. 
A  light  breeze  blowing  on  shore  wafted  the  three  ves 
sels  gently  along  the  smooth  surface  of  the  bay.  It 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         37 

is  said  that  as  the  invaders  passed  the  little  town  of 
Kirkaldy,  the  people  were  at  church,  but,  seeing  the 
three  men-of-war  passing,  deserted  the  sacred  edifice 
for  the  beach,  where  the  gray-haired  pastor,  surrounded 
by  his  flock,  offered  the  following  remarkable  appeal 
to  the  Deity : 

"  Now,  dear  Lord,  dinna  ye  think  it  a  shame  for  ye 
to  send  this  vile  pirate  to  rob  our  folk  o'  Kirkaldy? 
Ye  ken  that  they  are  puir  enow  already,  and  hae  nae- 
thing  to  spare.  The  way  the  wind  blaws,  he'll  be 
here  in  a  jiffy.  And  wha  kens  what  he  may  do  ?  He's 
nae  too  good  for  ony  thing.  Mickles  the  mischief 
he  has  done  already.  He'll  burn  their  hooses,  take 
their  very  claes,  and  strip  them  to  the  very  sark.  And 
waes  me,  wha  kens  but  that  the  bluidy  villain  might 
tak'  their  lives !  The  puir  weemin  are  most  frightened 
out  of  their  wits,  and  the  bairns  screeching  after  them. 
I  canna  think  of  it!  I  canna  think  of  it! 

"  I  hae  long  been  a  faithful  servant  to  ye,  O  Lord. 
But  gin  ye  dinna  turn  the  wind  about,  and  blaw  the 
scoundrel  out  of  our  gate,  I'll  nae  stir  a  foot,  but  will 
just  sit  here  till  the  tide  comes.  Sae  tak'  your  will  o't." 

Never  was  prayer  more  promptly  answered.  Hardly 
had  the  pastor  concluded  his  prayer,  when  the  wind 
veered  round,  and  soon  a  violent  gale  was  blowing 
off  shore.  In  the  teeth  of  the  wind,  the  ships  could 
make  no  headway.  The  gale  increased  in  violence  until 
it  rivalled  in  fierceness  a  tornado.  The  sea  was  lashed 
into  fury,  and  great  waves  arose,  on  the  crests  of  which 
the  men-of-war  were  tossed  about  like  fragile  shells. 
The  coal-ship  which  had  been  captured  was  so  racked 
and  torn  by  the  heavy  seas,  that  her  seams  opened,  and 
she  foundered  so  speedily,  that  only  by  the  most  active 
efforts  was  her  crew  saved.  After  several  hours'  in 
effectual  battling  with  the  gale,  the  ships  were  forced 
to  come  about  and  run  out  to  sea;  and  Jones  suffered 


38  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

the  mortification  of  witnessing  the  failure  of  his  enter 
prise,  after  having  been  within  gunshot  of  the  town 
that  he  had  hoped  to  capture.  As  for  the  good  people 
of  Kirkaldy,  they  were  convinced  that  their  escape  from 
the  daring  seamen  was  wholly  due  to  the  personal  in 
fluence  of  their  pastor  with  the  Deity;  and  the  worthy 
parson  lived  long  afterward,  ever  held  in  most  mighty 
veneration  by  the  people  of  his  flock. 

Disappointed  in  this  plan,  Jones  continued  his  cruise. 
Soon  after  he  fell  in  with  the  "  Alliance  "  and  the 
"  Vengeance  ";  and,  while  off  Flamborough  Head,  the 
little  squadron  encountered  a  fleet  of  forty-one  merchant 
ships,  that,  at  the  sight  of  the  dreaded  Yankee  cruisers, 
crowded  together  like  a  flock  of  frightened  pigeons, 
and  made  all  sail  for  the  shore;  while  two  stately  men- 
of-war — the  "  Serapis,  forty-four,"  and  the  "  Countess 
of  Scarborough,  twenty-two  " — moved  forward  to  give 
battle  to  the  Americans. 

Jones  now  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  his  greatest 
victory.  His  bold  and  chivalric  mind  had  longed  for 
battle,  and  recoiled  from  the  less  glorious  pursuit  of 
burning  helpless  merchantmen,  and  terrorizing  small 
towns  and  villages.  He  now  saw  before  him  a  chance 
to  meet  the  enemy  in  a  fair  fight,  muzzle  to  muzzle, 
and  with  no  overpowering  odds  on  either  side.  Al 
though  the  Americans  had  six  vessels  to  the  English 
men's  two,  the  odds  were  in  no  wise  in  their  favor. 
Two  of  the  vessels  were  pilot-boats,  which,  of  course, 
kept  out  of  the  battle.  The  "  Vengeance,"  though 
ordered  to  render  the  larger  vessels  any  possible  as 
sistance,  kept  out  of  the  fight  altogether,  and  even 
neglected  to  make  any  attempt  to  overhaul  the  flying 
band  of  merchantmen.  As  for  the  "  Alliance,"  under 
the  erratic  Landais,  she  only  entered  the  conflict  at  the 
last  moment;  and  then  her  broadsides,  instead  of  being 
delivered  into  the  enemy,  crashed  through  the  already 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         39 

shattered  sides  of  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard."  Thus 
the  actual  combatants  were  the  "  Richard  "  with  forty 
guns,  against  the  "  Serapis  "  with  forty- four;  and  the 
u  Pallas  "  with  twenty-two  guns,  against  the  "  Countess 
of  Scarborough  "  with  twenty-two. 

It  was  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  a  clear 
September  day — the  twenty-third — that  the  hostile  ves 
sels  bore  down  upon  each  other,  making  rapid  prepara 
tions  for  the  impending  battle.  The  sea  was  fast  turn 
ing  gray,  as  the  deepening  twilight  robbed  the  sky  of 
its  azure  hue.  A  brisk  breeze  was  blowing,  that  filled 
out  the  bellying  sails  of  the  ships,  and  beat  the  waters 
into  little  waves  capped  with  snowy  foam.  In  the 
west  the  rosy  tints  of  the  autumnal  sunset  were  still 
warm  in  the  sky.  Nature  was  in  one  of  her  most 
smiling  moods,  as  these  men  with  set  faces,  and  hearts 
throbbing  with  the  mingled  emotions  of  fear  and  ex 
citement,  stood  silent  at  their  guns,  or  worked  busily 
at  the  ropes  of  the  great  warships. 

As  soon  as  he  became  convinced  of  the  character  of 
the  two  English  ships,  Jones  beat  his  crew  to  quarters, 
and  signalled  his  consorts  to  form  in  line  of  battle. 
The  people  on  the  "  Richard  "  went  cheerfully  to  their 
guns;  and  though  the  ship  was  extremely  short-handed, 
and  crowded  with  prisoners,  no  voice  was  raised  against 
giving  immediate  battle  to  the  enemy.  The  actions 
of  the  other  vessels  of  the  American  fleet,  however, 
gave  little  promise  of  any  aid  from  that  quarter.  When 
the  enemy  was  first  sighted,  the  swift-sailing  "  Alli 
ance  "  dashed  forward  to  reconnoitre.  As  she  passed 
the  "  Pallas,"  Landais  cried  out,  that,  if  the  strange,, 
proved  to  be  a  forty-four,  the  only  course  for  the  Amer 
icans  was  immediate  flight.  Evidently  the  result  of 
his  investigations  convinced  him  that  in  flight  lay  his 
only  hope  of  safety;  for  he  quickly  hauled  off,  and 
stood  away  from  the  enemy.  The  "  Vengeance,"  too, 


40  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

ran  off  to  windward,  leaving  the  "  Richard  "  and  the 
"  Pallas  "  to  bear  the  brunt  of  battle. 

It  was  by  this  time  quite  dark,  and  the  position  of 
the  ships  was  outlined  by  the  rows  of  open  portholes 
gleaming  with  the  lurid  light  of  the  battle-lanterns. 
On  each  ship  rested  a  stillness  like  that  of  death  itself. 
The  men  stood  at  their  guns  silent  and  thoughtful. 
Sweet  memories  of  home  and  loved  ones  mingled  with 
fearful  anticipations  of  death  or  of  mangling  wounds 
in  the  minds  of  each.  The  little  lads  whose  duty  in 
time  of  action  it  was  to  carry  cartridges  from  the  maga 
zine  to  the  gunners  had  ceased  their  boyish  chatter, 
and  stood  nervously  at  their  stations.  Officers  walked 
up  and  down  the  decks,  speaking  words  of  encourage 
ment  to  the  men,  glancing  sharply  at  primers  and 
breechings  to  see  that  all  was  ready,  and  ever  and  anon 
stooping  to  peer  through  the  porthole  at  the  line  of 
slowly  moving  lights  that  told  of  the  approach  of 
the  enemy.  On  the  quarter-deck,  Paul  Jones,  with  his 
officers  about  him,  stood  carefully  watching  the  move 
ments  of  the  enemy  through  a  night  glass,  giving  occa 
sionally  a  quiet  order  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  and 
now  and  then  sending  an  agile  midshipman  below  with 
orders  to  the  armorer,  or  aloft  with  orders  for  the 
sharpshooters  posted  in  the  tops. 

As  the  night  came  on,  the  wind  died  away  to  a  gentle 
breeze,  that  hardly  ruffled  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  urged  the  ships  toward  each  other  but  sluggishly. 
As  they  came  within  pistol-shot  of  each  other,  bow 
to  bow,  and  going  on  opposite  tacks,  a  hoarse  cry  came 
from  the  deck  of  the  "  Serapis  " : 

uWhat  ship  is  that?" 

"  What  is  that  you  say?  " 

"What  ship  is  that?  Answer  immediately,  or  I 
shall  fire  into  you." 

Instantly  with  a  flash  and  roar  both  vessels  opened 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         41 

fire.  The  thunder  of  the  broadsides  reverberated  over 
the  waters ;  and  the  bright  flash  of  the  cannon,  together 
with  the  pale  light  of  the  moon  just  rising,  showed 
Flamborough  Head  crowded  with  multitudes  who  had 
come  out  to  witness  the  grand  yet  awful  spectacle  of  a 
naval  duel. 

The  very  first  broadside  seemed  enough  to  wreck  the 
fortunes  of  the  "  Richard."  On  her  gun-deck  were 
mounted  six  long  eighteens,  the  only  guns  she  carried 
that  were  of  sufficient  weight  to  be  matched  against 
the  heavy  ordnance  of  the  "  Serapis."  At  the  very 
first  discharge,  two  of  these  guns  burst  with  frightful 
violence.  Huge  masses  of  iron  were  hurled  in  every 
direction,  cutting  through  beams  and  stanchions,  crash 
ing  through  floors  and  bulkheads,  and  tearing  through 
the  agonized  bodies  of  the  men  who  served  the  guns. 
Hardly  a  man  who  was  stationed  on  the  gun-deck 
escaped  unhurt  in  the  storm  of  iron  and  splinters.  Sev 
eral  huge  blocks  of  iron  crashed  through  the  upper 
deck,  injuring  the  people  on  the  deck  above,  and  caus 
ing  the  cry  to  be  raised,  that  the  magazine  had  blown 
up.  This  unhappy  calamity  not  only  rendered  useless 
the  whole  battery  of  eighteen-pounders,  thus  forcing 
Jones  to  fight  an  eighteen-pounder  frigate  with  a  twelve- 
pounder  battery,  but  it  spread  a  panic  among  the  men, 
who  saw  the  dangers  of  explosion  added  to  the  peril 
they  were  in  by  reason  of  the  enemy's  continued  fire. 

Jones  himself  left  the  quarter-deck,  and  rushed  for 
ward  among  the  men,  cheering  them  on,  and  arousing 
them  to  renewed  activity  by  his  exertions.  Now  he 
would  lend  a  hand  at  training  some  gun,  now  pull  at 
a  rope,  or  help  a  lagging  powder-monkey  on  his  way. 
His  pluck  and  enthusiasm  infused  new  life  into  the 
men;  and  they  threw  the  heavy  guns  about  like  play 
things,  and  cheered  loudly  as  each  shot  told. 

The  two  ships  were  at  no  time  separated  by  a  greater 


42  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

distance  than  half  a  pistol-shot,  and  were  continually 
manoeuvring  to  cross  each  other's  bows,  and  get  in  a 
raking  broadside.  In  this  attempt,  they  crossed  from 
one  to  the  other  side  of  each  other;  so  that  now  the 
port  and  now  the  starboard  battery  would  be  engaged. 
From  the  shore  these  evolutions  were  concealed  under 
a  dense  cloud  of  smoke,  and  the  spectators  could  only 
see  the  tops  of  the  two  vessels  moving  slowly  about 
before  the  light  breeze;  while  the  lurid  flashes  of  the 
cannon,  and  constant  thunder  of  the  broadsides,  told 
of  the  deadly  work  going  on.  At  a  little  distance 
were  the  "  Countess  of  Scarborough  "  and  the  "  Pal 
las,"  linked  in  deadly  combat,  and  adding  the  roar  of 
their  cannon  to  the  general  turmoil.  It  seemed  to  the 
watchers  on  the  heights  that  war  was  coming  very  close 
to  England. 

The  "  Serapis  "  first  succeeded  in  getting  a  raking 
position;  and,  as  she  slowly  crossed  her  antagonist's 
bow,  her  guns  were  fired,  loaded  again,  and  again 
discharged — the  heavy  bolts  crashing  into  the  "  Rich 
ard's  "  bow,  and  ranging  aft,  tearing  the  flesh  of  the 
brave  fellows  on  the  decks,  and  cutting  through  timbers 
and  cordage  in  their  frightful  course.  At  this  mo 
ment,  the  Americans  almost  despaired  of  the  termina 
tion  of  the  conflict.  The  "  Richard  "  proved  to  be 
old  and  rotten,  and  the  enemy's  shot  seemed  to  tear 
her  timbers  to  pieces;  while  the  "Serapis"  was  new, 
with  timbers  that  withstood  the  shock  of  the  balls  like 
steel  armor.  Jones  saw  that  in  a  battle  with  great 
guns  he  was  sure  to  be  the  loser.  He  therefore  re 
solved  to  board. 

Soon  the  u  Richard  "  made  an  attempt  to  cross  the 
bows  of  the  "  Serapis,"  but  not  having  way  enough 
failed;  and  the  "Serapis"  ran  foul  of  her,  with  her 
long  bowsprit  projecting  over  the  stern  of  the  Amer 
ican  ship.  Springing  from  the  quarter-deck,  Jones 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         43 

with  his  own  hands  swung  grappling-irons  into  the  rig 
ging  of  the  enemy,  and  made  the  ships  fast.  As  he 
bent  to  his  work,  he  was  a  prominent  target  for  every 
sharpshooter  on  the  British  vessel,  and  the  bullets 
hummed  thick  about  his  ears;  but  he  never  flinched. 
His  work  done,  he  clambered  back  to  the  quarter-deck, 
and  set  about  gathering  the  boarders.  The  two  ves 
sels  swung  alongside  each  other.  The  cannonading 
was  redoubled,  and  the  heavy  ordnance  of  the 
"  Serapis  "  told  fearfully  upon  the  "  Richard."  The 
American  gunners  were  driven  from  their  guns  by  the 
flying  cloud  of  shot  and  splinters.  Each  party  thought 
the  other  was  about  to  board.  The  darkness  and  the 
smoke  made  all  vision  impossible;  and  the  boarders  on 
each  vessel  were  crouched  behind  the  bulwarks,  ready 
to  give  a  hot  reception  to  their  enemies.  This  suspense 
caused  a  temporary  lull  in  the  firing,  and  Captain  Pear 
son  of  the  "  Serapis  "  shouted  out  through  the  sulphur 
ous  blackness: 

"  Have  you  struck  your  colors?  " 

"  I  have  not  yet  begun  to  fight,"  replied  Jones;  and 
again  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  awakened  the  echoes 
on  the  distant  shore.  As  the  firing  recommenced,  the 
two  ships  broke  away  and  drifted  apart.  Again  the 
"  Serapis "  sought  to  get  a  raking  position;  but  by 
this  time  Jones  had  determined  that  his  only  hope  lay 
in  boarding.  Terrible  had  been  the  execution  on  his 
ship.  The  cockpit  was  filled  with  the  wounded.  The 
mangled  remains  of  the  dead  lay  thick  about  the  decks. 
The  timbers  of  the  ship  were  greatly  shattered,  and  her 
cordage  was  so  badly  cut  that  skilful  manoeuvring  was 
impossible.  Many  shot-holes  were  beneath  the  water- 
line,  and  the  hold  was  rapidly  filling.  Therefore, 
Jones  determined  to  run  down  his  enemy,  and  get  out 
his  boarders,  at  any  cost. 

Soon  the  two  vessels  were  foul  again.     Captain  Pear- 


44  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

son,  knowing  that  his  advantage  lay  in  long-distance 
fighting,  strove  to  break  away.  Jones  bent  all  his 
energies  to  the  task  of  keeping  the  ships  together. 
Meantime  the  battle  raged  fiercely.  Jones  himself,  in 
his  official  report  of  the  battle,  thus  describes  the  course 
of  the  fight: 


I  directed  the  fire  of  one  of  the  three  cannon  against  the  main 
mast  with  double-headed  shot,  while  the  other  two  were  exceedingly 
well  served  with  grape  and  canister  shot,  to  silence  the  enemy's 
musketry,  and  clear  her  decks,  which  was  at  last  effected.  The 
enemy  were,  as  I  have  since  understood,  on  the  instant  for  calling 
for  quarter,  when  the  cowardice  or  treachery  of  three  of  my  under 
officers  induced  them  to  call  to  the  enemy.  The  English  commodore 
asked  me  if  I  demanded  quarter;  and  I  having  answered  him  in 
the  negative,  they  renewed  the  battle  with  double  fury.  They  were 
unable  to  stand  the  deck;  but  the  fury  of  their  cannon,  especially 
the  lower  battery,  which  was  entirely  formed  of  eighteen-pounders, 
was  incessant.  Both  ships  were  set  on  fire  in  various  places,  and 
the  scene  was  dreadful  beyond  the  reach  of  language.  To  account 
for  the  timidity  of  my  three  under  officers  (I  mean  the  gunner,  the 
carpenter,  and  the  master-at-arms),  I  must  observe  that  the  two  first 
were  slightly  wounded;  and  as  the  ship  had  received  various  shots 
under  water,  and  one  of  the  pumps  being  shot  away,  the  carpenter 
expressed  his  fear  that  she  would  sink,  and  the  other  two  concluded 
that  she  was  sinking,  which  occasioned  the  gunner  to  run  aft  on  the 
poop,  without  my  knowledge,  to  strike  the  colors.  Fortunately  for 
me  a  cannon-ball  had  done  that  before  by  carrying  away  the  ensign 
staff:  he  was,  therefore,  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  sinking — as  he 
supposed — or  of  calling  for  quarter;  and  he  preferred  the  latter. 


Indeed,  the  petty  officers  were  little  to  be  blamed  for 
considering  the  condition  of  the  "  Richard  "  hopeless. 
The  great  guns  of  the  "  Serapis,"  with  their  muzzles 
not  twenty  feet  away,  were  hurling  solid  shot  and  grape 
through  the  flimsy  shell  of  the  American  ship.  So 
close  together  did  the  two  ships  come  at  times,  that 
the  rammers  were  sometimes  thrust  into  the  portholes 
of  the  opposite  ship  in  loading.  When  the  ships  first 
swung  together,  the  lower  ports  of  the  "  Serapis  "  were 
closed  to  prevent  the  Americans  boarding  through  them. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         45 

But  in  the  heat  of  the  conflict  the  ports  were  quickly 
blown  off,  and  the  iron  throats  of  the  great  guns  again 
protruded,  and  dealt  out  their  messages  of  death.  How 
frightful  was  the  scene!  In  the  two  great  ships  were 
more  than  seven  hundred  men,  their  eyes  lighted  with 
the  fire  of  hatred,  their  faces  blackened  with  powder 
or  made  ghastly  by  streaks  of  blood.  Cries  of  pain, 
yells  of  rage,  prayers,  and  curses  rose  shrill  above  the 
thunderous  monotone  of  the  cannonade.  Both  ships 
were  on  fire;  and  the  black  smoke  of  the  conflagration, 
mingled  with  the  gray  gunpowder  smoke,  and  lighted 
up  by  the  red  flashes  of  the  cannonade,  added  to  the 
terrible  picturesqueness  of  the  scene. 

The  "  Richard  "  seemed  like  a  spectre  ship,  so  shat 
tered  was  her  framework.  From  the  main-mast  to  the 
stern  post,  her  timbers  above  the  water-line  were  shot 
away,  a  few  blackened  posts  alone  preventing  the  upper 
deck  from  falling.  Through  this  ruined  shell  swept 
the  shot  of  the  "  Serapis,"  finding  little  to  impede  their 
flight  save  human  flesh  and  bone.  Great  streams  of 
water  were  pouring  into  the  hold.  The  pitiful  cries 
of  nearly  two  hundred  prisoners  aroused  the  compassion 
of  an  officer,  who  ran  below  and  liberated  them. 
Driven  from  the  hold  by  the  inpouring  water,  these 
unhappy  men  ran  to  the  deck,  only  to  be  swept  down 
by  the  storm  of  cannon-shot  and  bullets.  Fire,  too, 
encompassed  them;  and  the  flames  were  so  fast  sweep 
ing  down  upon  the  magazine,  that  Captain  Jones  or 
dered  the  powder-kegs  to  be  brought  up  and  thrown 
into  the  sea.  At  this  work,  and  at  the  pumps,  the 
prisoners  were  kept  employed  until  the  end  of  the 
action. 

But  though  the  heavy  guns  of  the  "  Serapis  "  had  it 
all  their  own  way  below,  shattering  the  hull  of  the 
"  Richard,"  and  driving  the  Yankee  gunners  from 
their  quarters,  the  conflict,  viewed  from  the  tops,  was 


46  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

not  so  one-sided.  The  Americans  crowded  on  the  fore 
castle  and  in  the  tops,  where  they  continued  the  battle 
with  musketry  and  hand-grenades,  with  such  murderous 
effect  that  the  British  were  driven  entirely  from  the 
upper  deck.  Once  a  party  of  about  one  hundred  picked 
men,  mustered  below  by  Captain  Pearson,  rushed  to 
the  upper  deck  of  the  "  Serapis,"  and  thence  made  a 
descent  upon  the  deck  of  the  "  Richard,"  firing  pistols, 
brandishing  cutlasses,  and  yelling  like  demons.  But 
the  Yankee  tars  were  ready  for  them  at  that  game,  and 
gave  the  boarders  so  spirited  a  reception  with  pikes  and 
cutlasses,  that  they  were  ready  enough  to  swarm  over 
the  bulwarks,  and  seek  again  the  comparative  safety  of 
their  own  ship. 

But  all  this  time,  though  the  Americans  were  making 
a  brave  and  desperate  defence,  the  tide  of  battle  was 
surely  going  against  them.  Though  they  held  the  deck 
of  the  "  Richard  "  secure  against  all  comers,  yet  the 
Englishmen  were  cutting  the  ship  away  from  beneath 
them,  with  continued  heavy  broadsides.  Suddenly  the 
course  of  battle  was  changed,  and  victory  took  her 
stand  with  the  Americans,  all  through  the  daring  and 
coolness  of  one  man — no  officer,  but  a  humble  jacky. 

The  rapid  and  accurate  fire  of  the  sharpshooters  on 
the  "  Richard "  had  driven  all  the  riflemen  of  the 
"  Serapis  "  from  their  posts  in  the  tops.  Seeing  this, 
the  Americans  swarmed  into  the  rigging  of  their  own 
ship,  and  from  that  elevated  station  poured  down  a 
destructive  fire  of  hand-grenades  upon  the  decks  of  the 
enemy.  The  sailors  on  the  deck  of  the  "  Richard  " 
seconded  this  attack,  by  throwing  the  same  missiles 
through  the  open  ports  of  the  enemy. 

At  last  one  American  topman,  filling  a  bucket  with 
grenades,  and  hanging  it  on  his  left  arm,  clambered 
out  on  the  yard-arm  of  the  "  Richard,"  that  stretched 
far  out  over  the  deck  of  the  British  ship.  Cautiously 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         47 

the  brave  fellow  crept  out  on  the  slender  spar.  His 
comrades  below  watched  his  progress,  while  the  sharp 
shooters  kept  a  wary  eye  on  the  enemy,  lest  some  watch 
ful  rifleman  should  pick  off  the  adventurous  blue-jacket. 
Little  by  little  the  nimble  sailor  crept  out  on  the  yard, 
until  he  was  over  the  crowded  gun-deck  of  the  "  Se- 
rapis."  Then,  lying  at  full  length  on  the  spar,  and 
somewhat  protected  by  it,  he  began  to  shower  his  mis 
siles  upon  the  enemy's  gun-deck.  Great  was  the  execu 
tion  done  by  each  grenade;  but  at  last,  one  better  aimed 
than  the  rest  fell  through  the  main  hatch  to  the  main 
deck.  There  was  a  flash,  then  a  succession  of  quick 
explosions;  a  great  sheet  of  flame  gushed  up  through 
the  hatchway,  and  a  chorus  of  cries  told  of  some  fright 
ful  tragedy  enacted  below. 

It  seemed  that  the  powder-boys  of  the  "  Serapis  " 
had  been  too  active  in  bringing  powder  to  the  guns, 
and,  instead  of  bringing  cartridges  as  needed,  had  kept 
one  charge  in  advance  of  the  demand;  so  that  behind 
every  gun  stood  a  cartridge,  making  a  line  of  cartridges 
on  the  deck  from  bow  to  stern.  Several  cartridges 
had  been  broken,  so  that  much  loose  powder  lay  upon 
the  deck.  This  was  fired  by  the  discharge  of  the  hand- 
grenade,  and  communicated  the  fire  to  the  cartridges, 
which  exploded  in  rapid  succession,  horribly  burning 
scores  of  men.  More  than  twenty  men  were  killed  in 
stantly;  and  so  great  was  the  flame  and  the  force  of 
the  explosion,  that  many  of  them  were  left  with  nothing 
on  but  the  collars  and  wristbands  of  their  shirts,  and 
the  waistbands  of  their  trousers. 

Captain  Pearson  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle, 
speaking  of  this  occurrence,  says :  "  A  hand-grenade 
being  thrown  in  at  one  of  the  lower  ports,  a  cartridge 
of  powder  was  set  on  fire,  the  flames  of  which  running 
from  cartridge  to  cartridge  all  the  way  aft,  blew  up 
the  whole  of  the  people  and  officers  that  were  quartered 


4s         S.TORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

abaft  the  main-mast;  from  which  unfortunate  circum 
stance  those  guns  were  rendered  useless  for  the  re 
mainder  of  the  action,  and  I  fear  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  people  will  lose  their  lives." 

This  event  changed  the  current  of  the  battle.  The 
English  were  hemmed  between  decks  by  the  fire  of  the 
American  topmen,  and  they  found  that  not  even  then 
were  they  protected  from  the  fiery  hail  of  hand-gren 
ades.  The  continual  pounding  of  double-headed  shot 
from  a  gun  which  Jones  had  trained  upon  the  main 
mast  of  the  enemy  had  finally  cut  away  that  spar;  and 
it  fell  with  a  crash  upon  the  deck,  bringing  down  spars 
and  rigging  with  it.  Flames  were  rising  from  the 
tarred  cordage,  and  spreading  to  the  framework  of 
the  ship.  The  Americans  saw  victory  within  their 
grasp. 

But  at  this  moment  a  new  and  most  unsuspected  enemy 
appeared  upon  the  scene.  The  "  Alliance,"  which  had 
stood  aloof  during  the  heat  of  the  conflict,  now  ap 
peared,  and,  after  firing  a  few  shots  into  the  "  Serapis," 
ranged  slowly  down  along  the  "  Richard,"  pouring  a 
murderous  fire  of  grapeshot  into  the  already  shattered 
ship.  Jones  thus  tells  the  story  of  this  treacherous 
and  wanton  assault: 


I  now  thought  that  the  battle  was  at  an  end.  But,  to  my  utter 
astonishment,  he  discharged  a  broadside  full  into  the  stern  of  the 
"Bon  Homme  Richard."  We  called  to  him  for  God's  sake  to  for 
bear.  Yet  he  passed  along  the  off-side  of  the  ship  and  continued 
firing.  There  was  no  possibility  of  his  mistaking  the  enemy's  ship 
for  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard,"  there  being  the  most  essential  dif 
ference  in  their  appearance  and  construction.  Besides,  it  was  then 
full  moonlight ;  and  the  sides  of  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard  "  were 
all  black,  and  the  sides  of  the  enemy's  ship  were  yellow.  Yet,  for 
the  greater  security,  I  showed  the  signal  for  our  reconnoissance, 
by  putting  out  three  lanterns, — one  at  the  bow,  one  at  the  stern,  and 
one  at  the  middle,  in  a  horizontal  line. 

Every  one  cried  that  he  was  firing  into  the  wrong  ship,  but 
nothing  availed.  He  passed  around,  firing  into  the  "  Bon  Homme 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS         49 

Richard,"  head,  stern,  and  broadside,  and  by  one  of  his  volleys 
killed  several  of  my  best  men,  and  mortally  wounded  a  good  officer 
of  the  forecastle.  My  situation  was  truly  deplorable.  The  "  Bon 
Homme  Richard"  received  several  shots  under  the  water  from  the 
"  Alliance."  The  leak  gained  on  the  pumps,  and  the  fire  increased 
much  on  board  both  ships.  Some  officers  entreated  me  to  strike, 
of  whose  courage  and  sense  I  entertain  a  high  opinion.  I  would 
not,  however,  give  up  the  point. 

Fortunately  Landais  did  not  persist  in  his  cowardly 
attack  upon  his  friends  in  the  almost  sinking  ship,  but 
sailed  off,  and  allowed  the  "  Richard  "  to  continue  her 
life-and-death  struggle  with  her  enemy.  The  struggle 
was  not  now  of  long  duration;  for  Captain  Pearson, 
seeing  that  his  ship  was  a  perfect  wreck,  and  that  the 
fire  was  gaining  headway,  hauled  down  his  colors  with 
his  own  hands,  since  none  of  his  men  could  be  per 
suaded  to  brave  the  fire  from  the  tops  of  the  "  Rich 
ard." 

As  the  proud  emblem  of  Great  Britain  fluttered  down, 
Lieutenant  Richard  Dale  turned  to  Captain  Jones,  and 
asked  permission  to  board  the  prize.  Receiving  an 
affirmative  answer,  he  jumped  on  the  gunwale,  seized 
the  mainbrace-pendant,  and  swung  himself  upon  the 
quarter-deck  of  the  captured  ship.  Midshipman  May- 
rant,  with  a  large  party  of  sailors,  followed.  So  great 
was  the  confusion  on  the  "  Serapis,"  that  few  of  the 
Englishmen  knew  that  the  ship  had  been  surrendered. 
As  Mayrant  came  aboard,  he  was  mistaken  for  the 
leader  of  a  boarding-party,  and  run  through  the  thigh 
with  a  pike. 

Captain  Pearson  was  found  standing  alone  upon  the 
quarter-deck,  contemplating  with  a  sad  face  the  shat 
tered  condition  of  his  once  noble  ship,  and  the  dead 
bodies  of  his  brave  fellows  lying  about  the  decks.  Step 
ping  up  to  him,  Lieutenant  Dale  said: 

u  Sir,  I  have  orders  to  send  you  on  board  the  ship 
alongside." 


50  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

At  this  moment,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  "  Serapis  " 
came  up  hastily,  and  inquired: 

"  Has  the  enemy  struck  her  flag?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Dale.  "  On  the  contrary,  you 
have  struck  to  us." 

Turning  quickly  to  his  commander,  the  English  lieu 
tenant  asked: 

"Have  you  struck,  sir?" 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  was  the  brief  reply. 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,"  remarked  the  officer, 
and  turning  about  was  in  the  act  of  going  below,  when 
Lieutenant  Dale  stopped  him,  saying: 

"  It  is  my  duty  to  request  you,  sir,  to  accompany 
Captain  Pearson  on  board  the  ship  alongside." 

"  If  you  will  first  permit  me  to  go  below,"  responded 
the  other,  "  I  will  silence  the  firing  of  the  lower  deck 
guns." 

4  This  cannot  be  permitted,"  was  the  response;  and, 
silently  bowing  his  head,  the  lieutenant  followed  his 
chief  to  the  victorious  ship,  while  two  midshipmen  went 
below  to  stop  the  firing. 

Lieutenant  Dale  remained  in  command  of  the 
41  Serapis."  Seating  himself  on  the  binnacle,  he  or 
dered  the  lashings  which  had  bound  the  two  ships 
throughout  the  bloody  conflict  to  be  cut.  Then  the 
head-sails  were  braced  back,  and  the  wheel  put  down. 
But,  as  the  ship  had  been  anchored  at  the  beginning 
of  the  battle,  she  refused  to  answer  either  helm  or 
canvas.  Vastly  astounded  at  this,  Dale  leaped  from 
the  binnacle;  but  his  legs  refused  to  support  him,  and 
he  fell  heavily  to  the  deck.  His  followers  sprang 
to  his  aid;  and  it  was  found  that  the  lieutenant  had 
been  severely  wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  splinter,  but 
had  fought  out  the  battle  without  ever  noticing  his 
hurt. 

So  ended  this  memorable  battle.      But  the  feelings 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         51 

of  pride  and  exultation  so  natural  to  a  victor  died  away 
in  the  breast  of  the  American  captain  as  he  looked  about 
the  scene  of  wreck  and  carnage.  On  all  sides  lay  the 
mutilated  bodies  of  the  gallant  fellows  who  had  so 
bravely  stood  to  their  guns  amid  the  storm  of  death- 
dealing  missiles.  There  they  lay,  piled  one  on  top  of 
the  other, — some  with  their  agonized  writhings  caught 
and  fixed  by  death ;  others  calm  and  peaceful,  as  though 
sleeping.  Powder-boys,  young  and  tender,  lay  by  the 
side  of  grizzled  old  seamen.  In  his  journal  Captain 
Jones  wrote: 

A  person  must  have  been  an  eye-witness  to  form  a  just  idea  of 
the  tremendous  scene  of  carnage,  wreck,  and  ruin,  that  everywhere 
appeared.  Humanity  cannot  but  recoil  from  the  prospect  of  such 
finished  horror,  and  lament  that  war  should  produce  such  fatal 
consequences. 

But  worse  than  the  appearance  of  the  main  deck 
was  the  scene  in  the  cockpit  and  along  the  gun-deck, 
which  had  been  converted  into  a  temporary  hospital. 
Here  lay  the  wounded,  ranged  in  rows  along  the  deck. 
Moans  and  shrieks  of  agony  were  heard  on  every  side. 
The  tramp  of  men  on  the  decks  overhead,  and  the 
creaking  of  the  timbers  of  the  water-logged  ship,  added 
to  the  cries  of  the  wounded,  made  a  perfect  bedlam  of 
the  place. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  discover  that  the  "  Bon 
Homme  Richard "  was  a  complete  wreck,  and  in  a 
sinking  condition.  The  gallant  old  craft  had  kept 
afloat  while  the  battle  was  being  fought;  but  now,  that 
the  victory  had  remained  with  her,  she  had  given  up 
the  struggle  against  the  steadily  encroaching  waves. 
The  carpenters  who  had  explored  the  hold  came  on 
deck  with  long  faces,  and  reported  that  nothing  could 
be  done  to  stop  the  great  holes  made  by  the  shot  of 
the  "  Serapis."  Therefore  Jones  determined  to  re- 


52  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

move  his  crew  and  all  the  wounded  to  the  "  Serapis," 
and  abandon  the  noble  "  Richard  "  to  her  fate.  Ac 
cordingly,  all  available  hands  were  put  at  the  pumps, 
and  the  work  of  transferring  the  wounded  was  begun. 
Slings  were  rigged  over  the  side;  and  the  poor  shat 
tered  bodies  were  gently  lowered  into  the  boats  await 
ing  them,  and,  on  reaching  the  "  Serapis,"  were  placed 
tenderly  in  cots  ranged  along  the  main  deck.  All  night 
the  work  went  on ;  and  by  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning 
there  were  left  on  the  "  Richard  "  only  a  few  sailors, 
who  alternately  worked  at  the  pumps,  and  fought  the 
steadily  encroaching  flames. 

For  Jones  did  not  intend  to  desert  the  good  old  ship 
without  a  struggle  to  save  her,  even  though  both  fire 
and  water  were  warring  against  her.  Not  until  the 
morning  dawned  did  the  Americans  fully  appreciate 
how  shattered  was  the  hulk  that  stood  between  them 
and  a  watery  grave.  Fenimore  Cooper,  the  pioneer 
historian  of  the  United  States  navy,  writes : 

When  the  day  dawned,  an  examination  was  made  into  the  situation 
of  the  "Richard."  Abaft  on  a  line  with  those  guns  of  the 
"  Serapis  "  that  had  not  been  disabled  by  the  explosion,  the  timbers 
were  found  to  be  nearly  all  beaten  in,  or  beaten  out, — for  in  this 
respect  there  was  little  difference  between  the  two  sides  of  the 
ship, — and  it  was  said  that  her  poop  and  upper  decks  would  have 
fallen  into  the  gun-room,  but  for  a  few  buttocks  that  had  been 
missed.  Indeed,  so  large  was  the  vacuum,  that  most  of  the  shot 
fired  from  this  part  of  the  "  Serapis,"  at  the  close  of  the  action, 
must  have  gone  through  the  "  Richard "  without  touching  any 
thing.  The  rudder  was  cut  from  the  stern  post,  and  the  transoms 
were  nearly  driven  out  of  her.  All  the  after-part  of  the  ship,  in 
particular,  that  was  below  the  quarter-deck  was  torn  to  pieces;  and 
nothing  had  saved  those  stationed  on  the  quarter-deck  but  the 
impossibility  of  sufficiently  elevating  guns  that  almost  touched  their 
object. 

Despite  the  terribly  shattered  condition  of  the  ship, 
her  crew  worked  manfully  to  save  her.  But,  after 
fighting  the  flames  and  working  the  pumps  all  day,  they 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS          53 

were  reluctantly  forced  to  abandon  the  good  ship  to 
her  fate.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock  at  night  that  the 
hopelessness  of  the  task  became  evident.  The  "  Rich 
ard  "  rolled  heavily  from  side  to  side.  The  sea  was  up 
to  her  lower  portholes.  At  each  roll  the  water  gushed 
in  and  swashed  through  the  hatchways.  At  ten  o'clock, 
with  a  last  dying  surge,  the  shattered  hulk  plunged  to 
her  final  resting-place,  carrying  with  her  the  bodies  of 
her  dead.  They  had  died  the  noblest  of  all  deaths — 
the  death  of  a  patriot  killed  in  doing  battle  for  his 
country.  They  received  the  grandest  of  all  burials — 
the  burial  of  a  sailor  who  follows  his  ship  to  her  grave, 
on  the  hard,  white  sand,  in  the  calm  depths  of  the 
ocean. 

How  many  were  there  that  went  down  with  the  ship  ? 
History  does  not  accurately  state.  Captain  Jones  him 
self  was  never  able  to  tell  how  great  was  the  number 
of  dead  upon  his  ship.  The  most  careful  estimate  puts 
the  number  at  forty-two.  Of  the  wounded  on  the 
American  ship,  there  were  about  forty.  All  these  were 
happily  removed  from  the  "  Richard  "  before  she  sunk. 

On  the  "  Serapis  "  the  loss  was  much  greater;  but 
here,  too,  history  is  at  fault,  in  that  no  official  returns 
of  the  killed  and  wounded  have  been  preserved.  Cap 
tain  Jones's  estimate,  which  is  probably  nearly  correct, 
put  the  loss  of  the  English  ship  at  about  a  hundred 
killed,  and  an  equal  number  wounded. 

The  sinking  of  the  "  Richard  "  left  the  "  Serapis  " 
crowded  with  wounded  of  both  nations,  prisoners,  and 
the  remnant  of  the  crew  of  the  sunken  ship.  No  time 
was  lost  in  getting  the  ship  in  navigable  shape,  and 
in  clearing  away  the  traces  of  the  battle.  The  bodies 
of  the  dead  were  thrown  overboard.  The  decks  were 
scrubbed  and  sprinkled  with  hot  vinegar.  The  sound 
of  the  hammer  and  the  saw  was  heard  on  every  hand, 
as  the  carpenters  stopped  the  leaks,  patched  the  deck, 


54  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

and  rigged  new  spars  in  place  of  those  shattered  by  the 
"  Richard's  "  fire.  All  three  of  the  masts  had  gone 
by  the  board.  Jury  masts  were  rigged;  and  with  small 
sails  stretched  on  these  the  ship  beat  about  the  ocean, 
the  plaything  of  the  winds.  Her  consorts  had  left  her. 
Landais,  seeing  no  chance  to  rob  Jones  of  the  honor 
of  the  victory,  had  taken  the  "  Alliance  "  to  other 
waters.  The  "  Pallas  "  had  been  victorious  in  her  con 
test  with  the  "  Countess  of  Scarborough  ";  and,  as  soon 
as  the  issue  of  the  conflict  between  the  "  Bon  Homme 
Richard  "  and  the  "  Serapis  "  had  become  evident,  she 
made  off  with  her  prize,  intent  upon  gaining  a  friendly 
port.  The  "  Serapis,"  after  ten  days  of  drifting,  finally 
ran  into  Texel,  in  the  north  of  Holland. 

The  next  year  was  one  of  comparative  inactivity  for 
Jones.  He  enjoyed  for  a  time  the  praise  of  all  friends 
of  the  revolting  colonies.  He  was  the  lion  of  Paris. 
Then  came  the  investigation  into  the  action  of  Landais 
at  the  time  of  the  great  battle.  Though  his  course  at 
that  time  was  one  of  open  treachery,  inspired  by  his 
wish  to  have  Jones  strike  to  the  "  Serapis,"  that  he 
might  have  the  honor  of  capturing  both  ships,  Landais 
escaped  any  punishment  at  the  hands  of  his  French 
compatriots.  But  he  was  relieved  of  the  command  of 
the  "  Alliance,"  which  was  given  to  Jones.  Highly 
incensed  at  this  action,  the  erratic  Frenchman  incited 
the  crew  of  the  "  Alliance  "  to  open  mutiny,  and,  tak 
ing  command  of  the  ship  himself,  left  France  and  sailed 
for  America,  leaving  Commodore  Jones  in  the  lurch. 
On  his  arrival  at  Philadelphia,  Landais  strove  to  justify 
his  action  by  blackening  the  character  of  Jones,  but 
failed  in  this,  and  was  dismissed  the  service.  His 
actions  should  be  regarded  with  some  chanty,  for  the 
man  was  doubtless  of  unsound  mind.  His  insanity 
became  even  more  evident  after  his  dismissal  from  the 
navy;  and  from  that  time,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         55 

his  eccentricities  made  him  generally  regarded  as  one 
mentally  unsound. 

Jones  is  the  one  great  character  in  the  naval  history 
of  the  Revolution.  He  is  the  first  heroic  figure  in 
American  naval  annals.  Not  until  years  after  his  death 
did  men  begin  to  know  him  at  his  true  worth.  He 
was  too  often  looked  upon  as  a  man  of  no  patriotism, 
but  wholly  mercenary;  courageous,  but  only  with  the 
daring  of  a  pirate.  Not  until  he  had  died  a  lonely 
death,  estranged  from  the  country  he  had  so  nobly 
served,  did  men  come  to  know  Paul  Jones  as  a  model 
naval  officer,  high-minded  in  his  patriotism,  pure  in  his 
life,  elevated  in  his  sentiments,  and  as  courageous  as  a 
lion. 


CHAPTER  V 

Britain's  Great  Naval  Force — Biddle  and  Tucker — An  Envoy  in 
Battle— The  Cruise  of  the  "  Raleigh  "—The  Taking  of  New 
Providence — The  Work  of  Privateers  and  Colonial  Cruisers — 
The  "Alliance"  and  Captain  Barry. 

IN  giving  this  continuous  account  of  the  services  of 
John  Paul  Jones  to  the  American  Navy  it  has  been 
necessary  to  depart  somewhat  from  the  strict  order  of 
time.  Jones's  work  ended  in  1780.  Let  us  go  back 
to  1777  and  take  up  with  that  date  the  story  of  the 
war  upon  the  ocean.  In  the  main  it  was  a  sputtering 
warfare,  made  up  of  raids  upon  merchant  shipping  and 
battles  between  small  vessels.  Yet  the  effect  of  such 
a  maritime  campaign  upon  the  enemy — particularly  an 
enemy  like  Great  Britain,  whose  merchant  vessels 
crowded  the  seas — was  not  to  be  despised.  It  com 
pelled  the  detachment  from  active  service  of  scores  of 
British  war  vessels  to  convoy  the  fleets  of  commerce. 
It  ran  up  the  rates  of  insurance,  paralyzed  trade,  and 
caused  widespread  distress.  Save  for  the  efforts  of 
Jones,  who  alone  among  American  commanders  oper 
ated  in  European  waters,  there  was  little  in  this  period, 
or  indeed  during  the  Revolution,  greatly  to  elate  the 
friends  of  the  American  Navy,  except  as  we  keep  in 
view  the  great  disparity  between  the  two  combatants. 
Accordingly,  for  the  remainder  of  this  survey  of  the 
work  of  the  navy  during  the  Revolution  only  the  most 
notable  actions,  or  the  most  picturesque  incidents,  will 
be  considered. 

The  year  1777  witnessed  many  notable  naval  events. 
Hostilities  along  the  seaboard  became  more  lively. 
New  vessels  were  put  into  commission.  England  dis- 

56 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         57 

patched  a  larger  naval  armament  to  crush  her  rebellious 
colonies.  The  records  of  the  admiralty  show  that  at 
the  beginning  of  that  year  Parliament  voted  to  the 
navy  forty-five  thousand  men — almost  the  exact  number 
in  our  navy  in  1909.  The  Americans  were  able  to  ar 
ray  against  this  huge  force  only  some  four  thousand, 
scattered  upon  thirteen  small  vessels-of-war. 

Among  the  first  vessels  to  get  to  sea  was  the  "  Ran 
dolph,"  a  new  frigate  commanded  by  Nicholas  Biddle, 
which  sailed  from  Philadelphia  in  February.  Her 
cruise  was  luckless  from  start  to  fatal  finish.  A  storm 
took  out  her  masts;  an  attempted  mutiny  on  the  part 
of  some  forty  British  prisoners  failed,  but  so  disorgan 
ized  the  crew  that  it  was  determined  to  put  into  Charles 
ton  to  refit  and  get  rid  of  the  mutineers. 

But  a  few  days  were  spent  in  port.  Getting  to  sea 
again,  the  "  Randolph  "  fell  in  with  the  "  True  Briton," 
a  twenty-gun  ship,  flying  the  British  colors.  Though 
the  captain  of  the  "  True  Briton  "  had  often  boasted 
of  what  he  would  do  should  he  encounter  the  "  Ran 
dolph,"  his  courage  then  failed  him,  and  he  fled.  The 
"  Randolph  "  gave  chase,  and,  proving  to  be  a  speedy 
ship,  soon  overhauled  the  prize,  which  struck  without 
waiting  for  a  volley.  Three  other  vessels  that  had 
been  cruising  with  the  "  True  Briton  "  were  also  cap 
tured,  and  with  her  rich  prizes  the  "  Randolph  "  re 
turned  proudly  to  Charleston.  Here  her  usefulness 
ceased  for  a  time;  for  a  superior  force  of  British  men- 
of-war  appeared  off  the  harbor,  and  by  them  the  "  Ran 
dolph  "  was  blockaded  for  the  remainder  of  the  season. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1778,  the  lookouts  on  the 
smaller  vessels  saw  a  signal  thrown  out  from  the  mast 
head  of  the  "  Randolph,"  which  announced  a  sail  in 
sight.  Chase  was  at  once  given;  and  by  four  o'clock 
she  was  near  enough  for  the  Americans  to  see  that 
she  was  a  large  ship,  and  apparently  a  man-of-war. 


58  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

About  eight  o'clock  the  stranger  was  near  enough  the 
squadron  for  them  to  make  out  that  she  was  a  heavy 
frigate. 

The  Englishman  was  not  slow  to  suspect  the  char 
acter  of  the  vessels  with  which  he  had  fallen  in,  and 
firing  a  shot  across  the  bows  of  the  "  Moultrie,"  de 
manded  her  name. 

"  The  *  Polly '  of  New  York,"  was  the  response. 

Leaving  the  "  Moultrie  "  unmolested,  the  stranger 
ranged  up  alongside  the  "  Randolph,"  and  ordered  her 
to  show  her  colors.  This  Diddle  promptly  did;  and 
as  the  American  flag  went  fluttering  to  the  fore,  the 
ports  of  the  "  Randolph  "  were  thrown  open,  and  a 
broadside  poured  into  the  hull  of  the  Englishman.  The 
stranger  was  not  slow  in  replying,  and  the  action  became 
hot  and  deadly.  Captain  Biddle  was  wounded  in  the 
thigh  early  in  the  battle.  As  he  fell  to  the  deck,  his 
officers  crowded  about  him,  thinking  that  he  was  killed; 
but  he  encouraged  them  to  return  to  their  posts,  and, 
ordering  a  chair  to  be  placed  on  the  quarter-deck,  re 
mained  on  deck,  giving  orders,  and  cheering  on  his 
men.  It  is  said  that  Captain  Biddle  was  wounded  by 
a  shot  from  the  "  Moultrie,"  which  flew  wide  of  its 
intended  mark. 

For  twenty  minutes  the  battle  raged,  and  there  was 
no  sign  of  weakening  on  the  part  of  either  contestant. 
Suddenly  the  sound  of  the  cannonade  was  deadened 
by  a  thunderous  roar.  The  people  on  the  other  ships 
saw  a  huge  column  of  fire  and  smoke  rise  where  the 
"  Randolph  "  had  floated.  The  English  vessel  was 
thrown  violently  on  her  beam-ends.  The  sky  was  dark 
ened  with  flying  timbers  and  splinters,  which  fell  heav 
ily  into  the  sea.  The  "  Randolph  "  had  blown  up. 
A  spark,  a  red-hot  shot,  some  fiery  object,  had  pene 
trated  her  magazine,  and  she  was  annihilated. 

The  disaster  which  destroyed  the  "  Randolph  "  came 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         59 

near  being  the  end  of  the  "  Yarmouth,"  her  antagonist. 
The  two  battling  ships  were  close  together;  so  close, 
in  fact,  that  after  the  explosion  Captain  Morgan  of 
the  "  Fair  American  "  hailed  the  "  Yarmouth  "  to  ask 
how  Captain  Diddle  was.  The  English  ship  was  fairly 
covered  with  bits  of  the  flying  wreck.  Some  heavy 
pieces  of  timber  falling  from  the  skies  badly  shattered 
her  main-deck.  An  American  ensign,  closely  rolled  up, 
fell  on  her  forecastle,  not  even  singed  by  the  fiery 
ordeal  through  which  it  had  passed. 

So  died  Captain  Nicholas  Biddle,  blown  to  atoms 
by  the  explosion  of  his  ship  in  the  midst  of  battle. 
Though  but  a  young  officer,  not  having  completed  his 
twenty-seventh  year,  he  left  an  enduring  name  in  the 
naval  annals  of  his  country.  Though  his  service  was 
short,  the  fame  he  won  was  great. 

Among  the  more  notable  commanders  who  did  good 
service  on  the  sea  was  Captain  Samuel  Tucker,  who  was 
put  in  command  of  the  frigate  "  Boston  "  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1777.  Tucker  was  an  old  and  tried 
seaman,  and  is  furthermore  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
figures  in  the  naval  history  of  the  Revolution. 

When  the  Revolution  broke  out,  Samuel  Tucker  was 
in  London.  Being  offered  by  a  recruiting  officer  a  com 
mission  in  either  the  army  or  navy,  if  he  would  consent 
to  serve  "  his  gracious  Majesty,"  Tucker  very  rashly 
responded,  "Hang  his  gracious  Majesty!  Do  you 
think  I  would  serve  against  my  country?" 

Soon  a  hue  and  cry  was  out  for  Tucker.  He  was 
charged  with  treason,  and  fled  into  the  country  to  the 
house  of  a  tavern-keeper  whom  he  knew,  who  sheltered 
him  until  he  could  make  his  escape  from  England. 

Hardly  had  he  arrived  in  America,  when  General 
Washington  commissioned  him  captain  of  the  "  Frank 
lin,"  and  instructed  him  to  proceed  directly  to  sea. 

In  the  "  Franklin  "  Captain  Tucker  did  some  most 


60  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

efficient  work.  His  name  appears  constantly  in  the 
letters  of  General  Washington,  and  in  the  State  papers 
making  up  the  American  archives,  as  having  sent  in 
valuable  prizes.  At  one  time  we  read  of  the  capture 
of  a  u  brigantine  from  Scotland,  worth  fifteen  thousand 
pounds  sterling  " ;  again,  of  six  gunboats,  and  of  brigs 
laden  with  wine  and  fruit.  During  the  year  1776,  he 
took  not  less  than  thirty — and  probably  a  few  more — 
ships,  brigs,  and  smaller  vessels.  Nor  were  all  these 
vessels  taken  without  some  sharp  fighting. 

Of  one  battle  Tucker  himself  speaks  in  one  of  his 
letters.  First  telling  how  his  wife  made  the  colors 
for  his  ship,  "  the  field  of  which  was  white,  and  the 
union  was  green,  made  of  cloth  of  her  own  purchasing, 
and  at  her  own  expense,"  he  goes  on  to  write  of  one 
of  his  battles: 

Those  colors  I  wore  in  honor  of  the  country,— which  has  so  nebly 
rewarded  me  for  my  past  services, — and  the  love  of  their  maker, 
until  I  fell  in  with  Col.  Archibald  Campbell  in  the  ship  "  George," 
and  brig  *'  Arabella,"  transports  with  about  two  hundred  and  eighty 
Highland  troops  on  board,  of  Gen.  Frazier's  corps.  About  10  P.M. 
a  severe  conflict  ensued,  which  held  about  two  hours  and  twenty 
minutes.  I  conquered  them  with  great  carnage  on  their  side,  it 
being  in  the  night,  and  my  small  bark,  about  seventy  tons  burden, 
being  very  low  in  the  water,  I  received  no  damage  in  loss  of  men, 
but  lost  a  complete  set  of  new  sails  by  the  passing  of  their  balls; 
then  the  white  field  and  pine-tree  union  were  riddled  to  atoms.  I 
was  then  immediately  supplied  with  a  new  suit  of  sails,  and  a  new 
suit  of  colors,  made  of  canvas  and  bunting  of  my  own  prize-goods. 

Another  time,  during  the  same  year,  Tucker  took 
two  British  ships  near  Marblehead.  So  near  was  the 
scene  of  action  to  the  house  of  Captain  Tucker,  that 
his  wife  and  her  sister,  hearing  the  sound  of  cannonad 
ing,  ascended  a  high  hill  in  the  vicinity,  and  from  that 
point  viewed  the  action  through  a  spy-glass. 

Captain  Tucker  kept  the  sea  in  the  "  Franklin " 
until  late  in  the  winter.  When  finally  the  cold  weather 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS         61 

and  high  winds  forced  him  to  put  his  ship  out  of  com 
mission,  he  went  to  his  home  at  Marblehead.  He  re 
mained  there  but  a  short  time;  for  in  March,  1777,  he 
was  put  in  command  of  the  "  Boston,"  a  frigate  of 
twenty-four  guns.  In  this  vessel  he  cruised  during  the 
year  with  varying  success. 

Early  in  February,  1778,  Captain  Tucker  was  or 
dered  to  carry  John  Adams  to  France  as  United  States 
Envoy.  Impressed  with  the  gravity  of  his  charge  he 
chose  a  course  which  he  hoped  would  keep  him  clear 
of  the  horde  of  British  cruisers  then  patrolling  the 
American  coast.  But  in  so  doing  he  fell  in  with 
a  natural  enemy,  which  came  near  proving  fatal.  A 
terrific  thunderstorm,  gradually  growing  into  a  tornado, 
crossed  the  path  of  the  ship.  The  ocean  was  lashed 
into  waves  mountain  high.  The  crash  of  the  thunder 
rent  the  sky.  A  stroke  of  lightning  struck  the  main 
mast,  and  ripped  up  the  deck,  narrowly  missing  the 
magazine.  The  ship  sprung  a  leak;  and  the  grewsome 
sound  of  the  pumps  mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  waves, 
and  the  shrieking  of  the  winds.  For  several  days  the 
stormy  weather  continued.  Then  followed  a  period 
of  calm,  which  the  captain  well  employed  in  repairing 
the  rigging,  and  exercising  the  men  with  the  guns  and 
small  arms.  Many  ships  had  been  sighted,  and  some, 
evidently  men-of-war,  had  given  chase;  but  the  ''Bos 
ton  "  succeeded  in  showing  them  all  a  clean  pair  of 
heels. 

"  What  would  you  do,"  said  Mr.  Adams  one  day, 
as  he  stood  with  the  captain  watching  three  ships  that 
were  making  desperate  efforts  to  overhaul  the  "  Bos 
ton,"  "  if  you  could  not  escape,  and  they  should  attack 
you?" 

"  As  the  first  is  far  in  advance  of  the  others,  I  should 
carry  her  by  boarding,  leading  the  boarders  myself," 
was  the  response.  "  I  should  take  her;  for  no  doubt 


62  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

a  majority  of  her  crew,  being  pressed  men,  would  turn 
to  and  join  me.  Having  taken  her,  I  should  be 
matched,  and  could  fight  the  other  two." 

Such  language  as  this  coming  from  many  men  would 
be  considered  mere  foolhardy  boasting.  But  Tucker 
was  a  man  not  given  to  brag.  Indeed,  he  was  apt  to 
be  very  laconic  in  speaking  of  his  exploits.  A  short 
time  after  his  escape  from  the  three  ships,  he  fell  in 
with  an  English  armed  vessel  of  no  small  force,  and 
captured  her.  His  only  comment  on  the  action  in  his 
journal  reads:  "  I  fired  a  gun,  and  they  returned  three; 
and  down  went  the  colors." 

John  Adams,  however,  told  a  more  graphic  story 
of  this  capture.  Tucker,  as  soon  as  he  saw  an  armed 
vessel  in  his  path,  hastily  called  his  crew  to  order, 
and  bore  down  upon  her.  When  the  roll  of  the  drum, 
calling  the  people  to  quarters,  resounded  through  the 
ship,  Mr.  Adams  seized  a  musket,  and  took  his  stand 
with  the  marines.  Captain  Tucker,  seeing  him  there, 
requested  him  to  go  below,  and  upon  his  desire  being 
disregarded,  put  his  hand  upon  the  envoy's  shoulder, 
and  in  a  tone  of  authority  said: 

"  Mr.  Adams,  I  am  commanded  by  the  Continental 
Congress  to  deliver  you  safe  in  France,  and  you  must 
go  below." 

The  envoy  smilingly  complied,  and  just  at  that  mo 
ment  the  enemy  let  fly  her  broadside.  The  shot  flew 
through  the  rigging,  doing  but  little  damage.  Though 
the  guns  of  the  "  Boston  "  were  shotted,  and  the  gun 
ners  stood  at  their  posts  with  smoking  match-stocks, 
Captain  Tucker  gave  no  order  to  fire,  but  seemed  intent 
upon  the  manoeuvres  of  the  ships.  The  eager  blue 
jackets  begun  to  murmur,  and  the  chorus  of  questions 
and  oaths  was  soon  so  great  that  the  attention  of 
Tucker  was  attracted.  He  looked  at  the  row  of  eager 
faces  on  the  gun-deck,  and  shouted  out : 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         63 

"  Hold  on,  my  men!  I  wish  to  save  that  egg  with 
out  breaking  the  shell." 

Soon  after,  Tucker  brought  his  broadside  to  bear 
on  the  stern  of  the  enemy,  and  she  struck  without  more 
ado.  She  proved  to  be  an  armed  ship,  the  "  Martha." 

After  this  encounter,  nothing  more  of  moment  oc 
curred  on  the  voyage,  and  the  "  Boston  "  reached  Bor 
deaux,  and  landed  her  distinguished  passenger  in  safety. 
Two  months  later  she  left  Bordeaux,  in  company  with 
a  fleet  of  twenty  sail,  one  of  which  was  the  "  Ranger," 
formerly  commanded  by  Paul  Jones.  With  these  ves 
sels  he  cruised  for  a  time  in  European  waters,  but  re 
turned  to  the  American  coast  in  the  autumn.  His 
services  for  the  rest  of  that  year,  and  the  early  part  of 
1779,  we  must  pass  over  hastily,  though  many  were 
the  prizes  that  fell  into  his  clutches. 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  Tucker.  His  shrewd 
ness,  originality,  and  daring  made  him  a  favorite  theme 
for  story-tellers.  But,  unhappily,  the  anecdotes  have 
generally  no  proof  of  their  truth.  One  or  two,  how 
ever,  told  by  Captain  Tucker's  biographer,  Mr.  John 
H.  Sheppard,  will  not  be  out  of  place  here. 

In  one  the  story  is  told  that  Tucker  fell  in  with 
a  British  frigate  which  he  knew  to  be  sent  in  search 
of  him.  Showing  the  English  flag,  he  sailed  boldly  to 
wards  the  enemy,  and  in  answer  to  her  hail  said  he  was 
Captain  Gordon  of  the  English  navy,  out  in  search  of 
the  "  Boston,"  commanded  by  the  rebel  Tucker. 

"  I'll  carry  him  to  New  York,  dead  or  alive,"  said 
Tucker. 

"  Have  you  seen  him?  "  was  asked. 

"Well,  I've  heard  of  him,"  was  the  response;  "  and 
they  say  he  is  a  hard  customer." 

All  this  time  Tucker  had  been  manoeuvring  to  secure 
a  raking  position.  Behind  the  closed  ports  of  the 
"  Boston,"  the  men  stood  at  their  guns,  ready  for  the 


64  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

word  of  command.  Just  as  the  American  had  secured 
the  position  desired,  a  sailor  in  the  tops  of  the  British 
vessel  cried  out: 

"  That  is  surely  Tucker;  we  shall  have  a  devil  of  a 
smell  directly." 

Hearing  this,  Tucker  ordered  the  American  flag 
hoisted,  and  the  ports  thrown  open.  Hailing  his 
astonished  foe,  he  cried: 

'  The  time  I  proposed  talking  with  you  is  ended. 
This  is  the  *  Boston/  frigate.  I  am  Samuel  Tucker, 
but  no  rebel.  Fire,  or  strike  your  flag." 

The  Englishman  saw  he  had  no  alternative  but  to 
strike.  This  he  did  without  firing  a  gun.  The  vessel, 
though  not  named  in  the  anecdote,  was  probably  the 
"  Pole,"  of  the  capture  of  which  Tucker  frequently 
speaks  in  his  letters. 

While  the  Yankee  tars  on  river  and  harbor  duty 
were  thus  getting  their  share  of  fighting,  there  was 
plenty  of  daring  work  being  done  on  the  high  seas. 
One  of  the  most  important  cruises  of  the  year  was  that 
of  the  "  Raleigh  "  and  the  "  Alfred."  The  "  Raleigh  " 
was  one  of  the  twelve-pounder  frigates  built  under  the 
naval  Act  of  1775.  With  her  consort  the  "Alfred," 
she  left  the  American  coast  in  the  summer  of  1777, 
bound  for  France,  in  search  of  naval  stores  that  were 
there  awaiting  transportation  to  the  United  States. 
Both  vessels  were  short-handed. 

On  the  2d  of  September  the  two  vessels  overhauled 
and  captured  the  snow  "  Nancy,"  from  England,  bound 
for  the  West  Indies.  Her  captain  reported  that  he 
had  sailed  from  the  West  Indies  with  a  fleet  of  sixty 
merchantmen,  under  the  convoy  of  four  small  men- 
of-war,  the  "  Camel,"  the  "  Druid,"  the  "  Weasel," 
and  the  "  Grasshopper."  The  poor  sailing  qualities  of 
the  "  Nancy  "  had  forced  her  to  drop  behind,  and  the 
fleet  was  then  about  a  day  in  advance  of  her. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         65 

Crowding  on  all  canvas,  the  two  American  ships  set 
out  in  hot  pursuit.  From  the  captain  of  the  "  Nancy," 
Captain  Thompson  of  the  "  Raleigh  "  had  obtained 
all  the  signals  in  use  in  the  fleet  of  Indiamen.  The 
next  morning  the  fleet  was  made  out;  and  the  "  Ra 
leigh  "  and  the  "  Alfred  "  exchanged  signals,  as  though 
they  were  part  of  the  convoy.  They  hung  about  the 
outskirts  of  the  fleet  until  dark,  planning,  when  the 
night  should  fall,  to  make  a  dash  into  the  enemy's 
midst,  and  cut  out  the  chief  armed  vessel. 

But  at  nightfall  the  wind  changed,  so  that  the  plan 
of  the  Americans  was  defeated.  At  daylight,  how 
ever,  the  wind  veered  round  and  freshened,  so  that  the 
"  Raleigh,"  crowding  on  more  sail,  was  soon  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  enemy's  fleet.  The  "  Alfred,"  un 
fortunately,  being  unable  to  carry  so  great  a  spread  of 
canvas,  was  left  behind;  and  the  "  Raleigh  "  remained 
to  carry  out  alone  her  daring  adventure. 

The  "  Raleigh "  boldly  steered  straight  into  the 
midst  of  the  British  merchantmen,  exchanging  signals 
with  some,  and  hailing  others.  Her  ports  were  low 
ered,  and  her  guns  on  deck  housed,  so  that  there  ap 
peared  about  her  nothing  to  indicate  her  true  char 
acter.  Having  cruised  about  amid  the  merchantmen, 
she  drew  up  alongside  the  nearest  man-of-war,  and 
when  within  pistol-shot,  suddenly  ran  up  her  flag,  threw 
open  her  ports,  and  commanded  the  enemy  to  strike. 

All  was  confusion  on  board  the  British  vessel.  Her 
officers  had  never  for  a  moment  suspected  the  "  Ra 
leigh  "  of  being  other  than  one  of  their  own  fleet. 
While  they  stood  aghast,  not  even  keeping  the  vessel 
on  her  course,  the  "  Raleigh  "  poured  in  a  broadside. 
The  British  responded  faintly  with  a  few  guns.  De 
liberately  the  Americans  let  fly  another  broadside, 
which  did  great  execution.  The  enemy  were  driven 
from  their  guns,  but  doggedly  refused  to  strike,  hold- 


66  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

ing  out,  doubtless,  in  the  hope  that  the  cannonade 
might  draw  to  their  assistance  some  of  the  other  armed 
ships  accompanying  the  fleet. 

While  the  unequal  combat  was  raging,  a  heavy  squall 
came  rushing  over  the  water.  The  driving  sheets  of 
rain  shut  in  the  combatants,  and  only  by  the  thunders 
of  the  cannonade  could  the  other  vessels  tell  that  a 
battle  was  being  fought  in  their  midst. 

When  the  squall  had  passed  by,  the  affrighted 
merchantmen  were  seen  scudding  in  every  direction, 
like  a  school  of  flying-fish  into  whose  midst  some  rapa 
cious  shark  or  dolphin  has  intruded  himself.  But  the 
three  men-of-war,  with  several  armed  West-Indiamen 
in  their  wake,  were  fast  bearing  down  upon  the  com 
batants,  with  the  obvious  intention  of  rescuing  their 
comrade,  and  punishing  the  audacious  Yankee. 

The  odds  against  Thompson  were  too  great;  and 
after  staying  by  his  adversary  until  the  last  possible 
moment,  and  pouring  broadside  after  broadside  into 
her,  he  abandoned  the  fight  and  rejoined  the  "  Alfred." 
The  two  ships  hung  on  the  flanks  of  the  fleet  for  some 
days,  in  the  hopes  of  enticing  two  of  the  men-of-war 
out  to  join  in  battle.  But  all  was  to  no  avail,  and 
the  Americans  were  forced  to  content  themselves  with 
the  scant  glory  won  in  the  incomplete  action  of  the 
"  Raleigh."  Her  adversary  proved  to  be  the  "  Druid," 
twenty,  which  suffered  severely  from  the  "  Raleigh's  " 
repeated  broadsides,  having  six  killed  and  twenty-six 
wounded;  of  the  wounded,  five  died  immediately  after 
the  battle. 

As  usual  the  year's  operations  were  opened  by  an 
exploit  of  one  of  the  smaller  cruisers.  This  was  the 
United  States  sloop-of-war  "  Providence,"  a  trig  little 
vessel,  mounting  only  twelve  four-pounders,  and  carry 
ing  a  crew  of  but  fifty  men.  But  she  was  in  command 
of  a  daring  seaman,  Captain  Rathburne,  and  she  opened 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         67 

the  year's  hostilities  with  an  exploit  worthy  of  Paul 
Jones. 

Off  the  southeastern  coast  of  Florida,  in  that  archi 
pelago  or  collection  of  groups  of  islands  known  col 
lectively  as  the  West  Indies,  lies  the  small  island  of 
New  Providence.  Here  in  1778  was  a  small  British 
colony.  The  well-protected  harbor,  and  the  convenient 
location  of  the  island,  made  it  a  favorite  place  for  the 
rendezvous  of  British  naval  vessels.  Indeed,  it  bid 
fair  to  become,  what  Nassau  is  to-day,  the  chief  British 
naval  station  on  the  American  coast.  In  1778  the 
little  seaport  had  a  population  of  about  one  thousand 
people. 

With  his  little  vessel,  and  her  puny  battery  of  four- 
pounders,  Captain  Rathburne  determined  to  undertake 
the  capture  of  New  Providence.  Only  the  highest 
daring,  approaching  even  recklessness,  could  have  con 
ceived  such  a  plan.  The  harbor  was  defended  by  a 
fort  of  no  mean  power.  There  was  always  one  British 
armed  vessel,  and  often  more,  lying  at  anchor  under 
the  guns  of  the  fort.  Two  hundred  of  the  people 
of  the  town  were  able-bodied  men,  able  to  bear  arms. 
How,  then,  were  the  Yankees,  with  their  puny  force, 
to  hope  for  success?  This  query  Rathburne  answered, 
"  By  dash  and  daring." 

It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  27th 
of  January,  1778,  that  the  "  Providence  "  cast  anchor 
in  a  sheltered  cove  near  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of 
New  Providence.  Twenty-five  of  her  crew  were  put 
ashore,  and  being  reinforced  by  a  few  American  pris 
oners  kept  upon  the  island,  made  a  descent  upon  Fort 
Nassau  from  its  landward  side.  The  sentries  dozing 
at  their  posts  were  easily  overpowered,  and  the  garri 
son  was  aroused  from  its  peaceful  slumbers  by  the 
cheers  of  the  Yankee  blue-jackets  as  they  came  tumbling 
in  over  the  ramparts.  A  rocket  sent  up  from  the  fort 


68  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

announced  the  victory  to  the  "  Providence,"  and  she 
came  in  and  cast  anchor  near  the  fort. 

When  morning  broke,  the  Americans  saw  a  large 
sixteen-gun  ship  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  together 
with  five  sail  that  looked  suspiciously  like  captured 
American  merchantmen.  The  proceedings  of  the  night 
had  been  quietly  carried  on,  and  the  crew  of  the  armed 
vessel  had  no  reason  to  suspect  that  the  condition  of 
affairs  on  shore  had  been  changed  in  any  way  during 
the  night.  But  at  daybreak  a  boat  carrying  four  men 
put  off  from  the  shore,  and  made  for  the  armed  ship; 
and  at  the  same  time  a  flag  was  flung  out  from  the  flag 
staff  of  the  fort, — not  the  familiar  scarlet  flag  of  Great 
Britain,  but  the  almost  unknown  Stars  and  Stripes  of 
the  United  States. 

The  sleepy  sailors  on  the  armed  vessel  rubbed  their 
eyes;  and  while  they  were  staring  at  the  strange  piece 
of  bunting,  there  came  a  hail  from  a  boat  alongside, 
and  an  American  officer  clambered  over  the  rail.  He 
curtly  told  the  captain  of  the  privateer  that  the  fort 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  and  called  upon 
him  to  surrender  his  vessel  forthwith.  Resistance  was 
useless;  for  the  heavy  guns  of  Fort  Nassau  were  trained 
upon  the  British  ship,  and  could  blow  her  out  of  the 
water.  The  visitor's  arguments  proved  to  be  unan 
swerable;  and  the  captain  of  the  privateer  surrendered 
his  vessel,  which  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  Amer 
icans;  while  her  crew  of  forty-five  men  was  ordered 
into  confinement  in  the  dungeons  of  the  fort  which  had 
so  lately  held  captive  Americans.  Other  boarding  par 
ties  were  then  sent  to  the  other  vessels  in  the  harbor, 
which  proved  to  be  American  craft,  captured  by  the 
British  sloop-of-war  "  Grayton." 

At  sunrise  the  sleeping  town  showed  signs  of  reviving 
life,  and  a  party  of  the  audacious  Yankees  marched 
down  to  the  house  of  the  governor.  That  functionary 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS         69 

was  found  in  bed,  and  in  profound  ignorance  of  the 
events  of  the  night.  The  Americans  broke  the  news 
to  him  none  too  gently,  and  demanded  the  keys  of  the 
disused  fortress  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbor 
from  Fort  Nassau.  For  a  time  the  governor  was 
inclined  to  demur;  but  the  determined  attitude  of  the 
Americans  soon  persuaded  him  that  he  was  a  prisoner, 
though  in  his  own  house,  and  he  delivered  the  keys. 
Thereupon  the  Americans  marched  through  the  streets 
of  the  city,  around  the  harbor's  edge  to  the  fort,  spiked 
the  guns,  and  carrying  with  them  the  powder  and  small 
arms,  marched  back  to  Fort  Nassau. 

But  by  this  time  it  was  ten  o'clock,  and  the  whole 
town  was  aroused.  The  streets  were  crowded  with 
people  eagerly  discussing  the  invasion.  The  timid 
ones  were  busily  packing  up  their  goods  to  fly  into 
the  country;  while  the  braver  ones  were  hunting  for 
weapons,  and  organizing  for  an  attack  upon  the  fort 
held  by  the  Americans.  Fearing  an  outbreak,  Captain 
Rathburne  sent  out  a  flag  of  truce,  making  proclama 
tion  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  New  Providence,  that 
the  Americans  would  do  no  damage  to  the  persons  or 
property  of  the  people  of  the  island  unless  compelled 
so  to  do  in  self-defence.  This  pacified  the  more  tem 
perate  of  the  inhabitants;  but  the  hotheads,  to  the  num 
ber  of  about  two  hundred,  assembled  before  Fort  Nas 
sau,  and  threatened  to  attack  it.  But,  when  they  sum 
moned  Rathburne  to  surrender,  that  officer  leaped  upon 
the  parapet,  and  coolly  told  the  assailants  to  come  on. 

"  We  can  beat  you  back  easily,"  said  he.  "  And, 
by  the  Eternal,  if  you  fire  a  gun  at  us,  we'll  turn  the 
guns  of  the  fort  on  your  town,  and  lay  it  in  ruins." 

This  bold  defiance  disconcerted  the  enemy ;  and,  after 
some  consultation  among  themselves,  they  dispersed. 

About  noon  that  day,  the  British  sloop-of-war 
"  Grayton  "  made  her  appearance,  and  stood  boldly  into 


70  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

the  harbor  where  lay  the  "  Providence."  The  United 
States  colors  were  quickly  hauled  down  from  the  fort 
flag-staff,  and  every  means  was  taken  to  conceal  the 
true  state  of  affairs  from  the  enemy.  But  the  inhabi 
tants  along  the  waterside,  by  means  of  constant  sig 
nalling  and  shouting,  at  last  aroused  the  suspicion  of 
her  officers;  and  she  hastily  put  about,  and  scudded 
for  the  open  sea.  The  guns  at  Fort  Nassau  opened 
on  her  as  she  passed,  and  the  aim  of  the  Yankee  gun 
ners  was  accurate  enough  to  make  the  splinters  fly. 
The  exact  damage  done  her  has,  however,  never  been 
ascertained. 

All  that  night  the  daring  band  of  blue-jackets  held 
the  fort  unmolested.  But  on  the  following  morning 
the  townspeople  again  plucked  up  courage,  and  to  the 
number  of  five  hundred  marched  to  the  fort,  and  plac 
ing  several  pieces  of  artillery  in  battery,  summoned 
the  garrison  to  surrender.  The  flag  of  truce  that  bore 
the  summons  carried  also  the  threat  that,  unless  the 
Americans  laid  down  their  arms  without  resistance,  the 
fort  would  be  stormed,  and  all  therein  put  to  the  sword 
without  mercy. 

For  answer  to  the  summons,  the  Americans  nailed 
their  colors  to  the  mast,  and  swore  that  while  a  man 
of  them  lived  the  fort  should  not  be  surrendered.  By 
this  bold  defiance  they  so  awed  the  enemy  that  the  day 
passed  without  the  expected  assault;  and  at  night  the 
besiegers  returned  to  their  homes,  without  having  fired 
a  shot. 

All  that  night  the  Americans  worked  busily,  trans 
ferring  to  the  "  Providence  "  all  the  ammunition  and 
stores  in  the  fort;  and  the  next  morning  the  prizes  were 
manned,  the  guns  of  the  fort  spiked,  and  the  adven 
turous  Yankees  set  sail  in  triumph.  For  three  days 
they  had  held  possession  of  the  island,  though  out 
numbered  tenfold  by  the  inhabitants;  they  had  cap- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         71 

tured  large  quantities  of  ammunition  and  naval  stores; 
they  had  freed  their  captured  countrymen;  they  had 
retaken  from  the  British  five  captured  American  ves 
sels,  and  in  the  whole  affair  they  had  lost  not  a  single 
man.  It  was  an  achievement  of  which  a  force  of  triple 
the  number  might  have  been  proud. 

But  perhaps  the  greatest  naval  event  of  1778  in 
American  waters  was  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  sent  by 
France  to  co-operate  with  the  American  forces.  Not 
that  anything  of  importance  was  ever  accomplished  by 
this  naval  force:  the  French  officers  seemed  to  find 
their  greatest  satisfaction  in  manoeuvring,  reconnoitring, 
and  performing  in  the  most  exact  and  admirable  man 
ner  all  the  preliminaries  to  a  battle.  Having  done 
this,  they  would  sail  away,  never  firing  a  gun.  The 
Yankees  were  prone  to  disregard  the  nice  points  of 
naval  tactics.  Their  plan  was  to  lay  their  ships  along 
side  the  enemy,  and  pound  away  until  one  side  or  the 
other  had  to  yield  or  sink.  But  the  French  allies  were 
strong  on  tactics,  and  somewhat  weak  in  dash;  and,  as 
a  result,  there  is  not  one  actual  combat  in  which  they 
figured  to  be  recorded. 

It  was  a  noble  fleet  that  France  sent  to  the  aid  of 
the  struggling  Americans, — twelve  ships-of-the-line  and 
three  frigates.  What  dashing  Paul  Jones  would  have 
done,  had  he  ever  enjoyed  the  command  of  such  a  fleet, 
almost  passes  imagination.  Certain  it  is  that  he  would 
have  wasted  little  time  in  formal  evolutions.  But  the 
fleet  was  commanded  by  Count  d'Estaing,  a  French 
naval  officer  of  honorable  reputation.  What  he  ac 
complished  during  his  first  year's  cruise  in  American 
waters,  can  be  told  in  a  few  words.  His  intention 
was  to  trap  Lord  Howe's  fleet  in  the  Delaware,  but 
he  arrived  too  late.  He  then  followed  the  British  to 
New  York,  but  was  baffled  there  by  the  fact  that  his 
vessels  were  too  heavy  to  cross  the  bar.  Thence  he 


72  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

went  to  Newport,  where  the  appearance  of  his  fleet 
frightened  the  British  into  burning  four  of  their 
frigates,  and  sinking  two  sloops-of-war.  Lord  Howe, 
hearing  of  this,  plucked  up  courage,  and,  gathering 
together  all  his  ships,  sailed  from  New  York  to  New 
port,  to  give  battle  to  the  French.  The  two  fleets 
were  about  equally  matched.  On  the  loth  of  August 
the  enemies  met  in  the  open  sea,  off  Newport.  For 
two  days  they  kept  out  of  range  of  each  other,  manoeu 
vring  for  the  weather-gage;  that  is,  the  French  fleet, 
being  to  windward  of  the  British,  strove  to  keep  that 
position,  while  the  British  endeavored  to  take  it  from 
them.  The  third  day  a  gale  arose;  and  when  it  sub 
sided  the  ships  were  so  crippled,  that,  after  exchanging 
a  few  harmless  broadsides  at  long  range,  they  with 
drew,  and  the  naval  battle  was  ended. 

Such  was  the  record  of  d'Estaing's  magnificent  fleet 
during  1778.  Certainly  the  Americans  had  little  to 
learn  from  the  representatives  of  the  power  that  had 
for  years  contended  with  England  for  the  mastery  of 
the  seas. 

In  observing  the  course  of  naval  events  in  1779, 
it  is  noticeable  that  the  most  effective  work  was  done 
by  the  cruisers  sent  out  by  the  individual  States,  or  by 
privateers.  The  United  States  navy,  proper,  did  little 
except  what  was  done  in  European  waters  by  Paul 
Jones.  Indeed,  along  the  American  coast,  a  few  cruises 
in  which  no  actions  of  moment  occurred,  although 
several  prizes  were  taken,  make  up  the  record  of  naval 
activity  for  the  year. 

The  first  of  these  cruises  was  that  made  in  April 
by  the  ships  "  Warren,"  "  Queen  of  France,"  and 
"  Ranger."  They  sailed  from  Boston,  and  were  out 
but  a  few  days  when  they  captured  a  British  privateer 
of  fourteen  guns.  From  one  of  the  sailors  on  this 
craft  it  was  learned  that  a  large  fleet  of  transports 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS         73 

and  storeships  had  just  sailed  from  New  York,  bound 
for  Georgia.  Crowding  on  all  sail,  the  Americans 
set  out  in  pursuit,  and  off  Cape  Henry  overhauled  the 
chase.  Two  fleets  were  sighted,  one  to  windward  num 
bering  nine  sail,  and  one  to  leeward  made  up  of  ten 
sail.  The  pursuers  chose  the  fleet  to  windward  for 
their  prey,  and  by  sharp  work  succeeded  'in  capturing 
seven  vessels  in  eight  hours.  Two  of  the  ships  were 
armed  cruisers  of  twenty-nine  and  sixteen  guns  respect 
ively,  and  all  the  prizes  were  heavy  laden  with  pro 
visions,  ammunition,  and  cavalry  accoutrements.  All 
were  safely  taken  into  port. 

In  June,  another  fleet  of  United  States  vessels  left 
Boston  in  search  of  British  game.  For  a  time  the 
cruisers  fell  in  with  nothing  of  importance.  But  one 
day  about  the  middle  of  July,  as  the  three  vessels  lay 
hove  to  off  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  in  the  region 
of  perpetual  fog,  the  dull  booming  of  a  signal  gun 
was  heard.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  on  any  side. 
From  the  quarter-deck,  and  from  the  cross-trees  alike, 
the  eager  eyes  of  the  officers  and  seamen  strove  in 
vain  to  penetrate  the  dense  curtain  of  gray  fog  that 
shut  them  in.  But  again  the  signal  gun  sounded,  then 
another;  and  tone  and  direction  alike  told  that  the 
two  reports  had  not  come  from  the  same  cannon.  Then 
a  bell  was  heard  telling  the  hour, — another,  still  an 
other;  then  a  whole  chorus  of  bells.  Clearly  a  large 
fleet  was  shut  in  the  fog. 

About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  fog  lifted, 
and  to  their  intense  surprise  the  crew  of  the  "  Queen  of 
France  "  found  themselves  close  alongside  of  a  large 
merchant-ship.  As  the  fog  cleared  away  more  com 
pletely,  ships  appeared  on  every  side ;  and  the  astonished 
Yankees  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  a  fleet  of 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  sail  under  convoy  of  a 
British  ship-of-the-line,  and  several  frigates  and  sloops- 


74  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

of-war.  Luckily  the  United  States  vessels  had  no 
colors  flying,  and  nothing  about  them  to  betray  their 
nationality:  so  Captain  Rathburn  of  the  "Queen" 
determined  to  try  a  little  masquerading. 

Bearing  down  upon  the  nearest  merchantman,  he 
hailed  her;  and  the  following  conversation  en 
sued: 

'What  fleet  is  this?" 

"  British  merchantmen  from  Jamaica,  bound  for 
London.  Who  are  you?  " 

"  His  Majesty's  ship  *  Arethusa,'  "  answered  Rath- 
burn  boldly,  "  from  Halifax  on  cruise.  Have  you  seen 
any  Yankee  privateers?  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  was  the  response.  "  Several  have 
been  driven  out  of  the  fleet." 

"  Come  aboard  the  *  Arethusa,'  then.  I  wish  to 
consult  with  you." 

Soon  a  boat  put  off  from  the  side  of  the  merchant 
man,  and  a  jolly  British  sea-captain  confidently 
clambered  to  the  deck  of  the  u  Queen."  Great  was 
his  astonishment  to  be  told  that  he  was  a  prisoner,  and 
to  see  his  boat's  crew  brought  aboard,  and  their  places 
taken  by  American  jackies.  Back  went  the  boat  to 
the  British  ship;  and  soon  the  Americans  were  in  con 
trol  of  the  craft,  without  in  the  least  alarming  the 
other  vessels,  that  lay  almost  within  hail.  The 
"  Queen  "  then  made  up  to  another  ship,  and  captured 
her  in  the  same  manner. 

But  at  this  juncture  Commodore  Whipple,  in  the 
"  Providence,"  hailed  the  "  Queen,"  and  directed  Rath- 
burn  to  edge  out  of  the  fleet  before  the  British  men- 
of-war  should  discover  his  true  character.  Rathburn 
protested  vigorously,  pointing  out  the  two  vessels  he 
had  captured,  and  urging  Whipple  to  follow  his  ex 
ample,  and  capture  as  many  vessels  as  he  could  in  the 
same  manner.  Finally  Whipple  overcame  his  fears, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         75 

and  adopted  Rathburn's  methods,  with  such  success 
that  shortly  after  nightfall  the  Americans  left  the  fleet, 
taking  with  them  eleven  rich  prizes.  Eight  of  these 
they  succeeded  in  taking  safe  to  Boston,  where  they 
were  sold  for  more  than  a  million  dollars. 

The  autumn  and  winter  passed  without  any  further 
exploits  on  the  part  of  the  navy.  The  number  of 
the  regular  cruisers  had  been  sadly  diminished,  and 
several  were  kept  blockaded  in  home  ports.  Along 
the  American  coast  the  British  cruisers  fairly  swarmed; 
and  the  only  chance  for  the  few  Yankee  ships  afloat 
was  to  keep  at  sea  as  much  as  possible,  and  try  to 
intercept  the  enemy's  privateers,  transports,  and 
merchantmen,  on  their  way  across  the  ocean. 

One  United  States  frigate,  and  that  one  a  favorite 
ship  in  the  navy,  was  ordered  abroad  in  February, 
1781,  and  on  her  voyage  did  some  brave  work  for  her 
country.  This  vessel  was  the  "  Alliance,"  once  under 
the  treacherous  command  of  the  eccentric  Landais,  and 
since  his  dismissal  commanded  by  Captain  John  Barry, 
of  whose  plucky  fight  in  the  "  Raleigh  "  we  have  al 
ready  spoken.  The  "  Alliance  "  sailed  from  Boston, 
carrying  an  army  officer  on  a  mission  to  France.  She 
made  the  voyage  without  sighting  an  enemy.  Having 
landed  her  passenger,  she  set  out  from  1'Orient,  with 
the  "  Lafayette,"  forty,  in  company.  The  two  cruised 
together  for  three  days,  capturing  two  heavy  privateers. 
They  then  parted,  and  the  "  Alliance  "  continued  her 
cruise  alone. 

On  the  28th  of  May  the  lookout  reported  two  sail 
in  sight;  and  soon  the  strangers  altered  their  course, 
and  bore  down  directly  upon  the  American  frigate. 
It  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  darkness  set  in  before 
the  strangers  were  near  enough  for  their  character  to 
be  made  out.  At  dawn  all  eyes  on  the  "  Alliance  " 
scanned  the  ocean  in  search  of  the  two  vessels,  which 


76  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

were  then  easily  seen  to  be  a  sloop-of-war  and  a  brig. 
Over  each  floated  the  British  colors. 

A  dead  calm  rested  upon  the  waters.  Canvas  was 
spread  on  all  the  ships,  but  flapped  idly  against  the 
yards.  Not  the  slightest  motion  could  be  discerned, 
and  none  of  the  ships  had  steerage-way.  The  enemy 
had  evidently  determined  to  fight;  for  before  the  sun 
rose  red  and  glowing  from  beneath  the  horizon,  sweeps 
were  seen  protruding  from  the  sides  of  the  two  ships, 
and  they  gradually  began  to  lessen  the  distance  be 
tween  them  and  the  American  frigate.  Captain  Barry 
had  no  desire  to  avoid  the  conflict;  though  in  a  calm, 
the  lighter  vessels,  being  manageable  with  sweeps,  had 
greatly  the  advantage  of  the  u  Alliance,"  which  could 
only  lie  like  a  log  upon  the  water.  Six  hours  of  weary 
work  with  the  sweeps  passed  before  the  enemy  came 
near  enough  to  hail.  The  usual  questions  and  answers 
were  followed  by  the  roar  of  the  cannon,  and  the  action 
began.  The  prospects  for  the  "  Alliance  "  were  dreary 
indeed;  for  the  enemy  took  positions  on  the  quarters 
of  the  helpless  ship,  and  were  able  to  pour  in  broad 
sides,  while  she  could  respond  only  with  a  few  of  her 
aftermost  guns.  But,  though  the  case  looked  hopeless, 
the  Americans  fought  on,  hoping  that  a  wind  might 
spring  up,  that  would  give  the  good  ship  "  Alliance  " 
at  least  a  fighting  chance. 

As  Barry  strode  the  quarter-deck,  watching  the  prog 
ress  of  the  fight,  encouraging  his  men,  and  looking  out 
anxiously  for  indications  of  a  wind,  a  grape-shot  struck 
him  in  the  shoulder,  and  felled  him  to  the  deck.  He 
was  on  his  feet  again  in  an  instant;  and  though  weak 
ened  by  the  pain,  and  the  rapid  flow  of  blood  from  the 
wound,  he  remained  on  deck.  At  last,  however,  he 
became  too  weak  to  stand,  and  was  carried  below. 
At  this  moment  a  flying  shot  carried  away  the  Amer 
ican  colors;  and,  as  the  fire  of  the  "Alliance"  was 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         77 

stopped  a  moment  for  the  loading  of  the  guns,  the 
enemy  thought  the  victory  won,  and  cheered  lustily. 
But  their  triumph  was  of  short  duration;  for  a  new 
ensign  soon  took  the  place  of  the  vanished  one,  and 
the  fire  of  the  "  Alliance  "  commenced  again. 

The  "  Alliance  "  was  now  getting  into  sore  straits. 
The  fire  of  the  enemy  had  told  heavily  upon  her,  and 
her  fire  in  return  had  done  but  little  visible  damage. 
As  Captain  Barry  lay  on  his  berth,  enfeebled  by  the 
pain  of  his  wound,  and  waiting  for  the  surgeon's  atten 
tion,  a  lieutenant  entered. 

"  The  ship  remains  unmanageable,  sir,"  said  he. 
"  The  rigging  is  badly  cut  up,  and  there  is  danger  that 
the  fore-top-mast  may  go  by  the  board.  The  enemy's 
fire  is  telling  on  the  hull,  and  the  carpenter  reports 
two  leaks.  Eight  or  ten  of  the  people  are  killed,  and 
several  officers  wounded.  Have  we  your  consent  to 
striking  the  colors?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  roared  out  Barry,  sitting  bolt  upright. 
"  And,  if  this  ship  can't  be  fought  without  me,  I  will 
be  carried  on  deck." 

The  lieutenant  returned  with  his  report;  and,  when 
the  story  became  known  to  the  crew,  the  jackies  cheered 
for  their  dauntless  commander. 

"  We'll  stand  by  the  old  man,  lads,"  said  one  of  the 
petty  officers. 

uAy,  ay,  that  we  will!  We'll  stick  to  him  right 
manfully,"  was  the  hearty  response. 

But  now  affairs  began  to  look  more  hopeful  for  the 
"  Alliance."  Far  away  a  gentle  rippling  of  the  water 
rapidly  approaching  the  ship  gave  promise  of  wind. 
The  quick  eye  of  an  old  boatswain  caught  sight  of  it. 
"  A  breeze,  a  breeze!  "  he  cried;  and  the  jackies  took 
up  the  shout,  and  sprang  to  their  stations  at  the  ropes, 
ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  coming  gust.  Soon 
the  breeze  arrived,  the  idly  flapping  sails  filled  out,  the 


78  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

helmsman  felt  the  responsive  pressure  of  the  water  as 
he  leaned  upon  the  wheel,  the  gentle  ripple  of  the  water 
alongside  gladdened  the  ears  of  the  blue-jackets,  the 
ship  keeled  over  to  leeward,  then  swung  around  re 
sponsive  to  her  helm,  and  the  first  effective  broadside 
went  crashing  into  the  side  of  the  nearest  British  vessel. 
After  that,  the  conflict  was  short.  Though  the  enemy 
had  nearly  beaten  the  "  Alliance  "  in  the  calm,  they 
were  no  match  for  her  when  she  was  able  to  manoeuvre. 
Their  resistance  was  plucky;  but  when  Captain  Barry 
came  on  deck,  with  his  wound  dressed,  he  was  just 
in  time  to  see  the  flags  of  both  vessels  come  fluttering 
to  the  deck. 

The  two  prizes  proved  to  be  the  "  Atlanta  "  sixteen, 
and  the  "  Trepassy,"  fourteen.  Both  were  badly  cut 
up,  and  together  had  suffered  a  loss  of  forty-one  men 
in  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  u  Alliance "  were 
eleven  dead,  and  twenty-one  wounded. 

Once  more  before  the  cessation  of  hostilities  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  threw  her  out  of 
commission  did  the  "  Alliance  "  exchange  shots  with 
a  hostile  man-of-war.  It  was  in  1782,  when  the  noble 
frigate  was  engaged  in  bringing  specie  from  the  West 
Indies.  She  had  under  convoy  a  vessel  loaded  with 
supplies,  and  the  two  had  hardly  left  Havana  when 
some  of  the  enemy's  ships  caught  sight  of  them,  and 
gave  chase.  While  the  chase  was  in  progress,  a  fifty- 
gun  ship  hove  in  sight,  and  was  soon  made  out  to  be 
a  French  frigate.  Feeling  that  he  had  an  ally  at  hand, 
Barry  now  wore  ship,  and  attacked  the  leading  vessel, 
and  a  spirited  action  followed,  until  the  enemy,  finding 
himself  hard  pressed,  signalled  for  his  consorts,  and 
Barry,  seeing  that  the  French  ship  made  no  sign  of 
coming  to  his  aid,  drew  off. 

Irritated  by  the  failure  of  the  French  frigate  to  come 
to  his  assistance,  Barry  bore  down  upon  her  and  hailed. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         79 

The  French  captain  declared  that  the  manoeuvres  of 
the  "  Alliance "  and  her  antagonist  had  made  him 
suspect  that  the  engagement  was  only  a  trick  to  draw 
him  into  the  power  of  the  British  fleet.  He  had  feared 
that  the  "  Alliance  "  had  been  captured,  and  was  being 
used  as  a  decoy;  but  now  that  the  matter  was  made 
clear  to  him,  he  would  join  the  "  Alliance  "  in  pursuit 
of  the  enemy.  This  he  did;  but  Barry  soon  found 
that  the  fifty  was  so  slow  a  sailer,  that  the  "  Alliance  " 
might  catch  up  with  the  British  fleet,  and  be  knocked 
to  pieces  by  their  guns,  before  the  Frenchman  could 
get  within  range.  Accordingly  he  abandoned  the  chase 
in  disgust,  and  renewed  his  homeward  course.  Some 
years  later,  an  American  gentleman  travelling  in 
Europe  met  the  British  naval  officer  who  commanded 
the  frigate  which  Barry  had  engaged.  This  officer, 
then  a  vice-admiral,  declared  that  he  had  never  before 
seen  a  ship  so  ably  fought  as  was  the  "  Alliance,"  and 
acknowledged  that  the  presence  of  his  consorts  alone 
saved  him  a  drubbing. 

This  engagement  was  the  last  fought  by  the  "  Al 
liance  "  during  the  Revolution,  and  with  it  we  practi 
cally  complete  our  narrative  of  the  work  of  the  regular 
navy  during  that  war.  One  slight  disaster  to  the 
American  cause  alone  remains  to  be  mentioned.  The 
"  Confederacy,"  a  thirty- two-gun  frigate  built  in  1778, 
was  captured  by  the  enemy  in  1781.  She  was  an 
unlucky  ship,  having  been  totally  dismasted  on  her 
first  cruise,  and  captured  by  an  overwhelming  force  on 
her  second. 

Though  this  chapter  completes  the  story  of  the  regu 
lar  navy  during  the  Revolution,  there  remain  many 
important  naval  events  to  be  described  in  an  ensuing 
chapter.  The  work  of  the  ships  fitted  out  by  Con 
gress  was  aided  greatly  by  the  armed  cruisers  furnished 
by  individual  States,  and  privateers.  Some  of  the 


80  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

exploits  of  these  crafts  and  some  desultory  maritime 
hostilities  we  shall  describe  in  the  next  chapter.  And 
if  the  story  of  the  United  States  navy,  as  told  in  these 
few  chapters,  seems  a  record  of  events  trivial  as  com 
pared  with  the  gigantic  naval  struggles  of  1812  and 
1 86 1,  it  must  be  remembered  that  not  only  were  naval 
architecture  and  ordnance  in  their  infancy  in  1776,  but 
that  the  country  was  young,  and  its  sailors  unused  to 
the  ways  of  war.  But  that  country,  young  as  it  was, 
produced  Paul  Jones;  and  it  is  to  be  questioned  whether 
any  naval  war  since  has  brought  forth  a  braver  or 
nobler  naval  officer,  or  one  more  skilled  in  the  handling 
of  a  single  ship-of-war. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Work  of  the  Privateers — The  "  General  Hancock "  and  the 
"  Levant " — Exploit  of  the  "  Pickering  " — Raiding  Nova  Scotia 
—''Congress"  and  "  Savage "  — "  Hyder  AH"  and  "General 
Monk." 

To  chronicle  in  full  the  myriad  exploits  and  experiences 
of  the  privateers  and  armed  cruisers  in  the  service  of 
individual  States  during  the  Revolution,  would  require 
a  volume  thrice  the  size  of  this.  Moreover,  it  is  diffi 
cult  and  well-nigh  impossible  to  obtain  authentic  in 
formation  regarding  the  movements  of  this  class  of 
armed  craft.  An  immense  number  of  anecdotes  of 
their  prowess  is  current,  and  some  few  such  narratives 
will  be  repeated  in  this  chapter;  but,  as  a  rule,  they 
are  based  only  upon  tradition,  or  the  imperfect  and 
often  incorrect  reports  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day. 

The  loss  inflicted  upon  Great  Britain  by  the  activity 
of  American  privateers  was  colossal.  For  the  first  year 
of  the  war  the  Continental  Congress  was  unwilling  to 
take  so  belligerent  a  step  as  to  encourage  privateering; 
but,  in  the  summer  of  1776,  the  issuing  of  letters  of 
marque  and  reprisal  was  begun,  and  in  a  short  time 
all  New  England  had  gone  to  privateering.  The 
ocean  fairly  swarmed  with  trim  Yankee  schooners  and 
brigs,  and  in  the  two  years  that  followed  nearly  eight 
hundred  merchantmen  were  taken. 

Discipline  on  the  privateers  was  lax,  and  the  profits 
of  a  successful  cruise  were  enormous.  Often  a  new, 
speedy  craft  paid  her  whole  cost  of  construction  on 
her  first  cruise.  The  sailors  fairly  revelled  in  money 
at  the  close  of  such  a  cruise;  and,  like  true  jack-tars, 
they  made  their  money  fly  as  soon  as  they  got  ashore. 
A  few  days  would  generally  suffice  to  squander  all  the 

81 


82  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

earnings  of  a  two-months'  cruise;  and,  penniless  but 
happy,  Jack  would  ship  for  another  bout  with  fortune. 

A  volume  could  be  written  dealing  with  the  exploits 
of  the  privateers,  but  for  our  purpose  a  few  instances 
of  their  dash  and  spirit  will  be  enough.  Though  the 
purpose  of  the  privateers  was  purely  mercenary,  their 
chief  end  and  aim  being  to  capture  defenceless  merchant 
men,  yet  they  were  always  ready  to  fight  when  fight 
ing  was  necessary,  and  more  than  once  made  a  good 
showing  against  stronger  and  better  disciplined  naval 
forces.  In  many  cases  audacity  and  dash  more  than 
made  up  for  the  lack  of  strength. 

In  1777  two  American  privateers  hung  about  the 
British  Isles,  making  captures,  and  sending  their  prizes 
into  French  ports.  The  exploits  of  Paul  Jones  were 
equalled  by  these  irregular  cruisers.  One  of  them, 
being  in  need  of  provisions,  put  into  the  little  Irish 
port  of  Beerhaven,  and  lay  at  anchor  for  ten  hours, 
while  her  crew  scoured  the  town  in  search  of  the  needed 
stores.  A  second  privateer  boldly  entered  a  harbor 
on  the  Island  of  Guernsey.  A  castle  at  the  entrance 
of  the  harbor  opened  fire  upon  her,  whereupon  she 
came  about,  and,  keeping  out  of  range  of  the  castle 
guns,  captured  a  large  brig  that  was  making  for  the 
port.  When  night  fell,  the  privateer  sent  a  boat's 
crew  ashore,  and  took  captive  two  officers  of  the  local 
militia. 

In  1778  occurred  an  action  between  a  private  armed 
ship  and  a  British  frigate,  in  which  the  privateer  was 
signally  successful.  On  the  iQth  of  September  of  that 
year,  the  "  General  Hancock,"  a  stout-built,  well-armed 
and  manned  privateer,  fell  in  with  the  "  Levant,"  a 
British  frigate  of  thirty-two  guns.  The  "  Hancock  " 
made  no  attempt  to  avoid  a  conflict,  and  opened  with 
a  broadside  without  answering  the  enemy's  hail.  The 
action  was  stubbornly  contested  upon  both  sides.  After 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         83 

an  hour  of  fighting,  the  captain  of  the  Yankee  ship, 
peering  through  the  smoke,  saw  that  the  colors  no 
longer  waved  above  his  adversary. 

"  Have  you  struck?  "  he  shouted. 

"  No.  Fire  away,"  came  the  response  faintly 
through  the  roar  of  the  cannon.  Two  hours  longer 
the  combat  raged,  with  the  ships  lying  yard-arm  to 
yard-arm.  A  ball  struck  Captain  Hardy  of  the  "  Han 
cock  "  in  the  neck,  and  he  was  carried  below,  while 
the  first  lieutenant  took  command  of  the  ship.  A  few 
minutes  later  there  arose  a  deafening  roar  and  blinding 
flash;  a  terrific  shock  threw  the  men  on  the  American 
ship  to  the  deck.  Stifling  smoke  darkened  the  atmos 
phere;  and  pieces  of  timber,  cordage,  and  even  hor 
ribly  torn  bits  of  human  flesh  began  to  fall  upon  the 
decks.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  Americans 
looked  eagerly  for  their  enemy.  Where  she  had  floated 
a  minute  or  two  before,  was  now  a  shattered,  blackened 
hulk  fast  sinking  beneath  the  waves.  The  surface 
of  the  sea  for  yards  around  was  strewn  with  wreckage, 
and  here  and  there  men  could  be  seen  struggling  for 
life.  As  ready  to  save  life  as  they  had  been  to  destroy 
it,  the  Americans  lowered  their  boats  and  pulled  about, 
picking  up  the  survivors  of  the  explosion.  The  boat 
swain  of  the  ill-fated  ship  and  seventeen  of  the  crew 
were  thus  saved,  but  more  than  fourscore  brave  fellows 
went  down  with  her.  The  American  vessel  herself 
was  damaged  not  a  little  by  the  violence  of  the  ex 
plosion. 

This  was  not  the  only  case  during  this  year  in  which 
a  British  man-of-war  met  defeat  at  the  guns  of  a 
Yankee  privateer.  The  "  Hinchinbrooke,"  sloop-of- 
war  fourteen;  the  "York,"  tender  twelve;  and  the 
"  Enterprise,"  ten  guns, — all  struck  their  colors  to 
private  armed  vessels  flying  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

By  1778  the  privateers  under  the  British  flag  were 


84  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

afloat  in  no  small  number.  America  had  no  commerce 
on  which  they  might  prey,  and  they  looked  forward 
only  to  recapturing  those  British  vessels  that  had  been 
taken  by  Yankee  privateers  and  sent  homeward.  That 
so  many  British  vessels  should  have  found  profitable 
employment  in  this  pursuit  is  in  itself  a  speaking  tribute 
to  the  activity  of  the  American  private  armed  navy. 

During  the  Revolution,  as  during  the  second  war 
with  Great  Britain  in  1812,  Salem,  Mass.,  and  Balti 
more,  Md.,  were  the  principal  points  from  which  priva 
teers  hailed.  In  all  the  early  wars  of  the  United 
States,  the  term  "  Salem  privateer  "  carried  with  it  a 
picture  of  a  fleet  schooner,  manned  with  a  picked  crew 
of  able  seamen,  commanded  by  a  lanky  Yankee  skipper 
who  knew  the  byways  of  old  ocean  as  well  as  the  high 
ways  of  trade,  armed  with  eight,  four,  or  six  pounders, 
and  a  heavy  "  Long  Tom  "  amidships.  Scores  of  such 
craft  sailed  from  Salem  during  the  Revolution;  and 
hardly  a  week  passed  without  two  or  three  returning 
privateers  entering  the  little  port  and  discharging  their 
crews  to  keep  the  little  village  in  a  turmoil  until  their 
prize  money  was  spent,  or,  to  use  the  sailors'  phrase, 
until  u  no  shot  was  left  in  the  locker." 

One  of  the  most  successful  of  the  Salem  privateers 
was  the  "  Pickering,"  a  craft  carrying  a  battery  of  six 
teen  guns,  and  a  crew  of  forty-seven  men.  On  one 
cruise  she  fought  an  engagement  of  an  hour  and  a 
half  with  a  British  cutter  of  twenty  guns;  and  so  roughly 
did  she  handle  the  enemy,  that  he  was  glad  to  sheer 
off.  A  day  or  two  later,  the  "  Pickering  "  overhauled 
the  "  Golden  Eagle,"  a  large  schooner  of  twenty-two 
guns  and  fifty-seven  men.  The  action  which  followed 
was  ended  by  the  schooner  striking  her  flag.  A  prize 
crew  was  then  put  aboard  the  "  Golden  Eagle,"  and 
she  was  ordered  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  her  captor. 
Three  days  later  the  British  sloop-of-war  "  Achilles  " 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         85 

hove  in  sight,  and  gave  chase  to  the  privateer  and  her 
prize.  After  a  fifteen  hours'  chase  the  prize  was  over 
hauled;  and  the  sloop-of-war,  after  taking  possession 
of  her,  continued  in  pursuit  of  the  privateer.  But 
while  the  privateersmen  had  preferred  flight  to  fighting 
while  nothing  was  at  stake,  they  did  not  propose  to 
let  their  prize  be  taken  from  them  without  a  resistance, 
however  great  the  odds  against  them.  Accordingly 
they  permitted  the  "  Achilles  "  to  overhaul  them,  and 
a  sharp  action  followed.  The  British  tried  to  force 
the  combat  by  boarding;  but  the  Americans,  with  pikes 
and  cutlasses,  drove  them  back  to  their  own  ship.  Then 
the  two  vessels  separated,  and  during  the  rest  of  the 
conflict  came  no  nearer  each  other  than  the  length  of 
a  pistol-shot.  At  this  distance  they  carried  on  a  spirited 
cannonade  for  upwards  of  three  hours,  when  the 
"  Achilles,"  concluding  that  she  had  had  enough, 
sheered  off.  Thereupon,  the  "  Pickering  "  coolly  ran 
back  to  her  late  prize,  took  possession  of  her,  captured 
the  lieutenant  and  prize  crew  that  the  "  Achilles  "  had 
put  in  charge  of  her,  and  continued  her  cruise. 

A  good  example  of  the  Baltimore  privateers  was  the 
"  Revenge,"  mounting  eighteen  guns,  with  a  crew  of 
fifty  men.  In  1780  this  vessel  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Alexander  Murray  of  the  regular  navy.  She 
was  engaged  by  a  large  number  of  Baltimore  merchants 
to  convoy  a  fleet  of  merchantmen,  but  had  hardly 
started  to  sea  with  her  charges  when  she  fell  in  with 
a  fleet  of  British  vessels,  and  was  forced  to  retreat 
up  the  Patuxent  River.  While  there,  the  American 
fleet  was  strengthened  by  several  privateers  and  armed 
merchant-vessels  which  joined  it,  so  that  it  was  felt 
safe  to  try  again  to  get  to  sea.  Accordingly  the  at 
tempt  was  made;  but,  though  the  captains  of  the  fleet 
had  signed  a  solemn  compact  to  stand  together  in  case 
of  danger,  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  fleet  of  hostile 


86  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

armed  vessels  sent  all  scurrying  up  the  Patuxent 
again,  except  one  brig  and  a  schooner.  The  British 
fleet  consisted  of  a  ship  of  eighteen  guns,  a  brig  of 
sixteen,  and  three  privateer  schooners.  Leaving  the 
schooners  to  his  two  faithful  consorts,  Murray7  threw 
himself  between  the  two  larger  vessels  and  the  flying 
merchantmen.  Seeing  themselves  thus  balked  of  their 
prey,  the  enemy  turned  fiercely  upon  the  "  Revenge, " 
but  were  met  with  so  spirited  a  resistance,  that  they 
hauled  off  after  an  hour's  fighting.  The  other  Amer 
ican  vessels  behaved  equally  well,  and  the  discomfiture 
of  the  British  was  complete. 

Philadelphia,  though  not  looked  upon  as  a  centre  of 
privateering  activity,  furnished  one  privateer  that  made 
a  notable  record.  This  was  the  u  Holkar,"  sixteen 
guns.  In  April,  1780,  she  captured  a  British  schooner 
of  ten  guns;  and  in  May  of  the  same  year  she  fought 
a  desperate  action  with  a  British  privateer  brig,  the 
name  of  which  has  never  been  ascertained.  Twice 
the  Briton  sheered  off  to  escape  the  telling  fire  of  the 
American;  but  the  u  Holkar  "  pressed  him  closely,  and 
only  the  appearance  of  a  second  British  armed  vessel 
at  the  scene  of  the  action  saved  the  Englishman  from 
capture.  This  battle  was  one  of  the  most  sanguinary 
ever  fought  by  private  armed  vessels;  for  of  the  crew 
of  the  "  Holkar  "  six  were  killed  and  sixteen  wounded, 
including  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant,  while  of  the 
enemy  there  were  about  the  same  number  killed  and 
twenty  wounded.  Three  months  later  this  same  priva 
teer  fell  in  with  the  British  sixteen-gun  cutter  "  Hypo 
crite,"  and  captured  her  after  a  sharp  conflict. 

Perhaps  the  most  audacious  privateering  exploit  was 
that  of  the  privateers  "  Hero,"  "  Hope,"  and  "  Swal 
low,"  in  July,  1782.  The  captains  of  these  craft,  meet 
ing  after  an  unprofitable  season  upon  the  high  seas,  con 
ceived  the  idea  of  making  a  descent  upon  the  Nova 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         87 

Scotian  town  of  Lunenberg,  some  thirty-five  miles  from 
Halifax.  Little  time  was  wasted  in  discussion.  Priva 
teers  are  not  hampered  by  official  red  tape.  So  it 
happened  that  early  in  the  month  the  three  privateers 
appeared  off  the  harbor  of  the  threatened  town,  having 
landed  a  shore  party  of  ninety  men.  Before  the  in 
vaders  the  inhabitants  retreated  rapidly,  making  some 
slight  resistance.  Two  block-houses,  garrisoned  by 
British  regulars,  guarded  the  town.  One  of  these 
fortresses  the  Americans  burned,  whereupon  the  British 
established  themselves  in  the  second,  and  prepared  to 
stand  a  siege.  Luckily  for  the  Americans,  the  block 
house  was  within  range  of  the  harbor;  so  that  the  three 
privateers  took  advantageous  positions,  and  fired  a 
few  rounds  of  solid  shot  into  the  enemy's  wooden  cita 
del.  The  besieged  then  made  haste  to  raise  the  white 
flag,  and  surrendered  themselves  prisoners-of-war. 
When  the  Yankee  ships  left  the  harbor,  they  took  with 
them  a  large  quantity  of  merchandise  and  provisions, 
and  a  thousand  pounds  sterling  by  way  of  ransom. 

One  more  conflict,  in  which  the  irregular  naval  forces 
of  the  United  States  did  credit  to  themselves,  must  be 
described  before  dismissing  the  subject  of  privateering. 
In  September,  1781,  the  British  sloop-of-war  "Sav 
age  "  was  cruising  off  the  southern  coast  of  the  United 
States.  Her  officers  and  men  were  in  a  particularly 
good  humor,  and  felt  a  lively  sense  of  self-satisfaction; 
for  they  had  just  ascended  the  Potomac,  and  plundered 
General  Washington's  estate, — an  exploit  which  would 
make  them  heroes  in  the  eyes  of  their  admiring  country 
men. 

Off  Charleston  the  "  Savage  "  encountered  the  Amer 
ican  privateer  "  Congress,"  of  about  the  same  strength 
as  herself, — twenty  guns  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  In  one  respect  the  "  Congress  "  was  the  weaker; 
for  her  crew  was  composed  largely  of  landsmen,  and 


88  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

her  marines  were  a  company  of  militia,  most  of  whom 
were  sadly  afflicted  with  seasickness.  Nevertheless, 
the  Yankee  craft  rushed  boldly  into  action,  opening  fire 
with  her  bow-chasers  as  soon  as  she  came  within  range. 
Like  two  savage  bulldogs,  the  two  ships  rushed  at  each 
other,  disdaining  all  manoeuvring,  and  seemingly  intent 
only  upon  locking  in  a  deadly  struggle,  yard-arm  to 
yard-arm.  At  first  the  "  Savage  "  won  a  slight  ad 
vantage.  Swinging  across  the  bow  of  the  u  Congress," 
she  raked  her  enemy  twice.  But  soon  the  two  ships 
lay  side  by  side,  and  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  was 
constant.  The  militia-marines  on  the  "  Congress  "  did 
good  service.  Stationed  in  the  tops,  on  the  forecastle, 
the  quarter-deck,  and  every  elevated  place  on  the  ship, 
they  poured  down  upon  the  deck  of  the  enemy  a  mur 
derous  fire.  The  jackies  at  the  great  guns  poured  in 
broadsides  so  well  directed  that  soon  the  u  Savage  " 
had  not  a  rope  left  with  which  to  manage  the  sails. 
Her  quarter-deck  was  cleared,  and  not  a  man  was  to 
be  seen  to  serve  as  a  mark  for  the  American  gunners. 
So  near  lay  the  two  vessels  to  each  other,  that  the 
fire  from  the  guns  scorched  the  gunners  on  the  oppo 
site  ship.  The  antagonists  were  inextricably  entangled; 
for  the  mizzen-mast  of  the  "  Savage  "  had  been  shot 
away,  and  had  fallen  into  the  after-rigging  of  the 
"  Congress."  There  was  no  flight  for  the  weaker  ves 
sel.  When  she  could  no  longer  fight,  surrender  was 
her  only  recourse.  Neither  vessel  showed  any  colors, 
for  both  ensigns  had  been  shot  away  early  in  the  action. 
Accordingly,  when  the  boatswain  of  the  "  Savage  "  was 
seen  upon  the  forecastle  wildly  waving  his  arms,  it  was 
taken  as  an  evidence  of  surrender;  and  the  fire  slack 
ened  until  his  voice  could  be  heard. 

"Give  us  quarter/'  he  cried  hoarsely;  "we  are  a 
wreck,  and  strike  our  flag." 

The  firing  then  ceased;  but,  when  the  lieutenant  of 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         89 

the  "  Congress  "  ordered  a  boat  lowered  in  which  to 
board  the  prize,  the  old  boatswain  came  back  with  the 
report : 

"  Boats  all  knocked  to  pieces,  sir.  Couldn't  find  one 
that  would  float." 

Accordingly  the  two  vessels  had  to  be  slowly  drawn 
together,  and  the  boarding  party  reached  the  deck  of 
the  prize  by  clambering  over  a  spar  which  served  as 
a  bridge.  When  they  reached  the  prize,  they  found 
her  decks  covered  with  dead  and  wounded  men.  The 
slaughter  had  been  terrible.  Twenty-three  men  were 
killed,  and  thirty-one  wounded.  On  the  "  Congress  " 
were  thirty,  killed  and  wounded  together.  One  of  the 
wounded  Americans  was  found  lying  with  his  back 
braced  against  the  foot  of  the  bowsprit,  cheering  for 
the  victory,  and  crying: 

"  If  they  have  broken  my  legs,  my  hands  and  heart 
are  still  whole." 

Throughout  this  sanguinary  action  both  parties 
showed  the  greatest  courage  and  determination.  Two 
vessels  of  the  two  most  perfectly  organized  regular 
navies  in  the  world  could  not  have  been  better  handled, 
nor  could  they  have  more  stubbornly  contested  for  the 
victory. 

A  class  of  armed  vessels  outside  the  limits  of  the 
regular  navy,  but  very  active  and  efficient  in  the  service 
of  the  country,  was  the  maritime  forces  of  the  indi 
vidual  States.  Before  Congress  had  seen  the  necessity 
for  a  naval  force,  several  of  the  colonies  ha8  been  alive 
to  the  situation,  and  fitted  out  cruisers  of  their  own. 
Even  after  the  Revolution  had  developed  into  a  war  of 
the  first  magnitude,  and  after  the  colonies  had  assumed 
the  title  of  States,  and  delegated  to  Congress  the  duty  of 
providing  for  the  common  defence,  they  still  continued 
to  fit  out  their  own  men-of-war  to  protect  their  ports 
and  act  as  convoys  for  their  merchant  fleets.  Though 


9o  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

vessels  in  this  service  seldom  cruised  far  from  the 
coast  of  their  home  colony,  yet  occasionally  they  met 
the  vessels  of  the  enemy,  and  many  sharp  actions  were 
fought  by  them. 

Of  all  the  actions  fought  by  the  State  cruisers,  the 
most  hotly  contested  was  that  between  the  Pennsyl 
vania  cruiser  "  Hyder  Ali,"  and  the  British  sloop-of- 
war  "  General  Monk."  The  "  Hyder  Ali  "  was  a 
merchantman,  bought  by  the  State  just  as  she  was 
about  departing  on  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies.  She 
was  in  no  way  calculated  for  a  man-of-war;  but  the 
need  was  pressing,  and  she  was  pierced  for  eight  ports 
on  a  side,  and  provided  with  a  battery  of  six-pounders. 
The  command  of  this  vessel  was  given  to  Joshua  Bar 
ney,  a  young  officer  with  an  extensive  experience  of 
Yankee  privateers  and  British  prisons. 

Barney's  instructions  were,  not  to  go  to  sea,  but  to 
patrol  the  Delaware  River  and  Bay,  and  see  that  no 
privateer  lay  in  wait  for  the  merchant-vessels  that 
cleared  from  the  port  of  Philadelphia.  In  April,  1782, 
the  "  Hyder  Ali  "  stood  down  Delaware  Bay  at  the 
head  of  a  large  fleet  of  outward-bound  merchantmen. 
When  Cape  May  was  reached,  strong  head-winds 
sprang  up,  and  the  whole  fleet  anchored  to  await  more 
favorable  weather  before  putting  out  to  sea.  While 
they  lay  at  anchor,  the  "  Hyder  Ali  "  sighted  a  trio  of 
British  vessels,  two  ships  and  a  brig,  rounding  the  cape. 
Instantly  Barney  signalled  his  convoy  to  trip  anchor 
and  retreat,  a  signal  which  was  promptly  obeyed  by 
all  save  one  too  daring  craft,  that  tried  to  slip  round 
the  cape,  and  get  to  sea,  but  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  Soon  the  whole  fleet,  with  the  "  Hyder 
Ali  "  bringing  up  the  rear,  fled  up  the  bay.  The  British 
followed  in  hot  pursuit. 

At  a  point  half-way  up  the  bay  the  pursuers  parted; 
one  of  the  ships,  a  frigate,  cutting  through  a  side  chan- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         91 

nel  in  the  hope  of  intercepting  the  fugitives.  The 
other  two  pursuers,  a  privateer  brig  and  a  sloop-of- 
war,  continued  in  the  wake  of  the  "  Hyder  AIL"  The 
brig  proved  herself  a  clipper,  and  soon  came  up  with 
the  American  vessel,  which  promptly  offered  battle. 
The  challenge  was  declined  by  the  privateer,  which  fired 
a  harmless  broadside,  and  continued  on  up  the  bay. 
Barney  let  her  pass,  for  he  had  determined  to  risk  the 
dangers  of  an  unequal  combat  with  the  sloop-of-war. 
This  vessel  came  up  rapidly;  and  as  she  drew  near 
Barney  luffed  up  suddenly,  and  let  fly  a  broadside. 
This  somewhat  staggered  the  enemy,  who  had  expected 
only  a  tame  surrender;  but  she  quickly  recovered,  and 
came  boldly  on.  At  this  juncture  Barney  turned  to 
his  helmsman,  and  said: 

"  Now,  when  I  give  the  word,  pay  no  attention  to 
my  order,  but  put  the  helm  hard-a-starboard.  Pay 
no  heed  to  the  actual  command  I  may  give  you." 

The  British  vessel  was  then  within  half  pistol-shot, 
and  her  forward  guns  were  beginning  to  bear.  From 
his  station  on  the  quarter-deck  Barney  shouted  to  his 
steersman  in  stentorian  tones: 

"  Port  your  helm.      Hard-a-port." 

The  order  was  clearly  heard  on  board  the  enemy, 
and  he  prepared  to  manoeuvre  his  ship  accordingly. 
But  the  steersman  of  the  "  Hyder  Ali "  remembered 
his  instructions;  and  before  the  enemy  discovered  the 
ruse,  the  American  ship  lay  athwart  the  other's  bow, 
and  the  bowsprit  of  the  enemy  was  caught  in  the 
"  Hyder  Ali's  "  rigging,  giving  the  latter  a  raking  posi 
tion.  Quickly  the  Yankee  gunners  seized  the  oppor 
tunity.  Not  five  miles  away  was  a  British  frigate  ready 
to  rush  to  the  assistance  of  her  consort,  and  whatever 
was  to  be  done  by  the  bold  lads  of  Pennsylvania  had 
to  be  done  with  expedition.  No  cheer  rose  from  their 
ranks;  but  with  grim  determination  they  worked  at 


92  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  great  guns,  pouring  in  rapid  and  effective  broad 
sides.  The  explosions  of  the  two  batteries  were  like 
the  deafening  peals  of  thunder  echoed  and  re-echoed 
in  some  mountain-gorge.  Smoke  hid  the  vessels  from 
sight,  and  the  riflemen  in  the  tops  could  only  occa 
sionally  catch  sight  of  the  figures  of  the  enemy.  The 
enemy  had  twenty  guns  to  Barney's  sixteen;  but  he 
was  outmanoeuvred  at  the  start,  and  this  disadvantage 
he  never  overcame.  Half  an  hour  from  the  time  of 
the  opening  of  the  battle,  his  flag  was  struck,  and  the 
Americans,  with  lusty  cheers,  took  possession  of  their 
prize.  There  was  no  time  for  ceremony.  The  frigate 
had  seen  the  conflict  from  afar,  and  was  bearing  down 
upon  the  two  antagonists.  So  without  even  asking  the 
name  of  the  captured  vessel,  Barney  hastily  threw  a 
prize  crew  aboard,  ordered  her  to  proceed  to  Philadel 
phia,  and  himself  remained  behind  to  cover  the  retreat. 

Some  hours  later,  having  escaped  the  British  frigate, 
the  two  vessels  sailed  up  to  a  Philadelphia  wharf.  The 
scars  of  battle  had  been  in  no  way  healed :  the  tattered 
sails,  the  shattered  hulls  and  bulwarks,  the  cordage 
hanging  loosely  from  the  masts,  told  the  story  of  battle. 
The  crowd  that  rushed  to  the  wharf,  and  peered  curi 
ously  about  the  decks  of  the  two  vessels,  saw  a  ghastly 
and  horrible  sight.  For  the  battle  had  been  as  san 
guinary  as  it  was  spirited,  and  the  dead  still  lay  where 
they  fell.  On  the  British  vessel,  the  "  General  Monk," 
lay  the  lifeless  bodies  of  twenty  men;  while  twenty-six 
wounded,  whose  blood  stained  the  deck,  lay  groaning 
in  the  cockpit  below.  On  the  "  Hyder  Ali  "  were  four 
killed  and  eleven  wounded. 

This  action,  for  steadiness  and  brilliancy,  was  not 
surpassed  by  any  naval  duel  of  the  war  of  the  Revolu 
tion.  By  it  the  name  of  Joshua  Barney  was  put  upon 
a  plane  with  those  of  the  most  eminent  commanders 
in  the  regular  navy;  and  had  not  the  war  speedily  ter- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         93 

minated,  he  would  have  been  granted  a  commission  and 
a  ship  by  the  United  States. 

While  the  chief  naval  events  of  the  war  for  independ 
ence  have  now  been  recounted,  there  still  remain  cer 
tain  incidents  connected  more  or  less  closely  with  the 
war  on  the  water,  which  deserve  a  passing  mention. 
One  of  these  is  the  curious  desultory  warfare  carried 
on  in  and  about  New  York  Harbor  by  fishermen  and 
longshoremen  in  whale-boats,  dories,  sharpies,  and  simi 
lar  small  craft. 

From  1776  until  the  close  of  the  war,  New  York 
City  and  the  region  bordering  upon  the  harbor  were 
occupied  by  the  British.  Provisions  were  needed  for 
their  support,  and  were  brought  from  Connecticut  and 
New  Jersey  in  small  sailing  craft,  chiefly  whale-boats. 
These  boats  the  patriots  often  intercepted,  and  des 
perate  encounters  upon  the  water  were  frequent.  Nor 
did  the  Yankee  boatmen  confine  their  attacks  to  the 
provision  boats  alone.  In  the  summer  of  1775  the 
British  transport  "  Blue  Mountain  Valley  "  was  cap 
tured  by  a  band  of  hardy  Jerseymen,  who  concealed 
themselves  in  the  holds  of  four  small  sail-boats  until 
fairly  alongside  the  enemy's  vessel,  when  they  swarmed 
out  and  drove  the  British  from  the  dock  of  their  vessel. 

No  narrative  of  the  events  of  the  Revolution  would 
be  complete  without  some  description  of  the  floating 
prison-houses  in  which  the  British  immured  the  hapless 
soldiers  and  sailors  who  fell  into  their  hands.  Of 
these  the  chief  one  was  a  dismasted  hulk  known  as  the 
u  Old  Jersey  "  prison-ship,  and  moored  in  Wallabout 
bay  near  New  York  City.  No  pen  can  adequately 
describe  the  horrors  of  this  prison;  but  some  extracts 
from  the  published  recollections  of  men  once  imprisoned 
in  her  noisome  hold  will  give  some  idea  of  the  miserable 
fate  of  those  condemned  to  be  imprisoned  on  her. 

Thomas  Andros,  a  sailor  taken  by  the  British  with 


94  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  privateer  "  Fair  American,"  writes  of  the  "  Old 
Jersey": 

This  was  an  old  sixty-four-gun  ship,  which,  through  age,  had 
become  unfit  for  further  actual  service.  She  was  stripped  of  every 
spar  and  all  her  rigging.  After  a  battle  with  a  French  fleet, 
her  lion  figure-head  was  taken  away  to  repair  another  ship.  No 
appearance  of  ornament  was  left,  and  nothing  remained  but  an  old 
unsightly  rotten  hulk;  and  doubtless  no  other  ship  in  the  British 
navy  ever  proved  the  means  of  the  destruction  of  so  many  human 
beings.  It  is  computed  that  no  less  than  eleven  thousand  American 
seamen  perished  in  her.  When  I  first  became  an  inmate  of  this 
abode  of  suffering,  despair,  and  death,  there  were  about  four 
hundred  prisoners  on  board;  but  in  a  short  time  they 
amounted  to  twelve  hundred.  In  a  short  time  we  had  two 
hundred  or  more  sick  and  dying  lodged  in  the  forepart  of  the  lower 
gun-deck,  where  all  the  prisoners  were  confined  at  night.  Utter 
derangement  was  a  common  symptom  of  yellow-fever ;  and  to 
increase  the  horror  of  the  darkness  that  surrounded  us  (for  we 
were  allowed  no  light  between  decks),  the  voice  of  warning 
would  be  heard,  "  Take  heed  to  yourselves.  There  is  a  madman 
stalking  through  the  ship  with  a  knife  in  his  hand."  I  sometimes 
found  the  man  a  corpse  in  the  morning,  by  whose  side  I  laid 
myself  down  at  night.  In  the  morning  the  hatchways  were  thrown 
open;  and  we  were  allowed  to  ascend  to  the  upper  deck  all  at 
once,  and  remain  on  the  upper  deck  all  day.  But  the  first  object 
that  met  our  view  in  the  morning  was  an  appalling  spectacle, — a 
boat  loaded  with  dead  bodies,  conveying  them  to  the  Long  Island 
shore,  where  they  were  very  slightly  covered. 

Ebenezer  Fox,  another  privateersman,  has  left  his 
recollections  of  this  dreadful  prison.  His  description 
of  the  food  upon  which  the  unhappy  prisoners  were 
forced  to  subsist  is  interesting: 

Our  bill  of  fare  was  as  follows :  on  Sunday,  one  pound  of  biscuit, 
one  pound  of  pork,  and  half  a  pint  of  pease ;  Monday,  one  pound  of 
biscuit,  one  pint  of  oatmeal,  and  two  ounces  of  butter;  Tuesday, 
one  pound  of  biscuit,  and  two  pounds  of  salt  beef ;  Wednesday,  one 
and  a  half  pounds  of  flour,  and  two  ounces  of  suet;  Thursday  was  a 
repetition  of  Sunday's  fare;  Friday,  of  Monday's;  and  Saturday,  of 
Tuesday's. 

If  this  food  had  been  of  good  quality  and  properly  cooked,  as  we 
had  no  labor  to  perform,  it  would  have  kept  us  comfortable,  at 
least  from  suffering;  but  this  was  not  the  case.  All  our  food 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         95 

appeared  to  be  damaged.  As  for  the  pork,  we  were  cheated  out  of 
it  more  than  half  the  time ;  and  when  it  was  obtained,  one  would 
have  judged  from  its  motley  hues,  exhibiting  the  consistence  and 
appearance  of  variegated  fancy  soap,  that  it  was  the  flesh  of  the 
porpoise  or  sea-hog,  and  had  been  an  inhabitant  of  the  ocean  rather 
than  of  the  stye.  The  pease  were  generally  damaged,  and,  from 
the  imperfect  manner  in  which  they  were  cooked,  were  about  as 
indigestible  as  grape-shot.  The  butter  the  reader  will  not  suppose 
was  the  real  "  Goshen ; "  and  had  it  not  been  for  its  adhesive 
properties  to  hold  together  the  particles  of  the  biscuit,  that  had 
been  so  riddled  by  the  worms  as  to  lose  all  their  attraction  of 
cohesion,  we  should  have  considered  it  no  desirable  addition  to  our 
viands. 

With  this  chapter  ends  the  narrative  of  the  naval 
events  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  It  was  not  a 
great  naval  war,  for  the  belligerent  nations  were  not 
sufficiently  well  matched  in  naval  strength.  But  it 
brought  forth  Paul  Jones  and  more  than  one  other 
brave  and  able  commander.  It  established  a  new  flag 
upon  the  seas,  a  flag  that  has  ever  since  held  an  honor 
able  position  among  the  insignia  of  the  foremost  nations 
of  the  earth.  And  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  as 
in  every  war  in  which  the  United  States  has  taken  part 
since,  there  was  manifested  the  wonderful  ability  of 
the  American  people  to  rush  into  a  conflict  half-pre 
pared,  and  gain  daily  in  strength  until  the  cause  for 
which  they  fight  is  won.  In  1776  that  cause  was  lib 
erty,  and  in  its  behalf  none  fought  more  bravely  than 
the  lads  who  wore  the  blue  jackets  of  the  American 
navy. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  Barbary  Corsairs — America  Finally  Resists  Piracy — Bainbridge 
and  the  "  Philadelphia  " — Decatur's  Daring  Exploit — An  Attack 
on  the  Tripolitan  Gunboats — The  Fireship  at  Tripoli. 

IT  is  a  curious  fact  that  after  every  war,  except  the 
recent  one  with  Spain,  the  navy  of  the  United  States 
has  been  allowed  to  languish  almost  to  the  point  of 
extinction.  Particularly  was  this  true  when  the  Revolu 
tion  ended.  For  years  thereafter  the  victorious  colonies 
were  loosely  bound  together  in  the  futile  Confederation 
which  was  without  power  to  build  or  even  maintain 
a  navy.  When  the  Constitution  was  adopted,  and  the 
United  States  of  America  came  into  being,  George 
Washington  in  his  first  message  urged  the  creation  of 
a  navy,  but  Congress  permitted  the  recommendation 
to  go  unheeded.  The  nation  was  at  peace  with  the 
world,  and  that  maxim,  now  hackneyed,  "  In  time  of 
peace  prepare  for  war,"  was  then  little  observed. 

Yet  there  was  reason  enough  for  a  fleet.  Even  under 
the  Confederacy  American  merchant-vessels  were  mul 
tiplying  on  the  seas,  flying  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  which 
gave  them  no  protection  whatsoever.  Along  the  Medi 
terranean  shore  of  Africa  were  ranged  the  piratical 
Barbary  powers — Tripoli,  Algiers,  Tunis,  Morocco — 
supported  mainly  by  preying  upon  the  peaceful  com 
merce  of  other  nations.  In  1785  several  American 
vessels  were  captured  and  their  people  sold  into  slavery. 
Had  this  condition  persisted  until  the  organization  of 
the  Union,  President  Washington's  recommendations 
might  have  been  heeded,  but  about  that  time  war  broke 
out  between  Portugal  and  Algiers.  The  former  block 
aded  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  so  that  the  corsairs  could 

96 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         97 

not  escape,  and  for  the  time  the  commerce  of  the  world 
was  secure. 

But  in  1793  peace  was  declared  between  the  warring 
powers  and  the  corsairs  swarmed  forth  again.  Amer 
ican  ships  fell  fast  into  their  clutches.  Two  hundred 
American  seamen  were  made  slaves.  Congress  awoke. 
The  frames  of  two  frigates  were  laid  down.  And 
then — a  treaty  between  the  United  States  and  the  Dey 
of  Algiers.  And  such  a  treaty!  It  agreed  to  pay 
annual  tribute  for  the  right  to  navigate  the  high  seas. 
Under  it  in  all  more  than  a  million  dollars  was  paid — 
enough  in  those  days  to  build  at  least  three  war-vessels. 
Moreover,  when  once  the  tribute  fell  into  arrears,  the 
obsequious  government  presented  the  royal  corsair  with 
a  fully  equipped  frigate  to  allay  his  wrath. 

Out  of  this  tribute  sprung  some  picturesque  and  mor 
tifying  incidents.  Here  is  one: 

In  May,  1800,  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Captain  William 
Bainbridge,  commanding  the  frigate  u  George  Wash 
ington,  "  to  carry  the  annual  tribute  to  Algiers.  On 
arriving  there  he  was  treated  with  contempt  by  the 
Dey,  who  demanded  that  he  put  the  "  Washington  " 
at  the  service  of  Algiers,  to  carry  her  ambassador  to 
Constantinople.  "  You  pay  me  tribute,  by  which  you 
become  my  slaves,"  said  the  Dey;  "I  have  therefore 
a  right  to  order  you  as  I  may  think  proper."  Bain- 
bridge  protested,  but  to  no  avail.  He  had  anchored 
his  frigate  under  the  guns  of  the  Dey's  castle,  and 
to  disobey  meant  capture  and  slavery.  Accordingly 
he  complied,  but  dispatched  a  letter  to  the  authorities 
at  home  saying:  "I  hope  I  may  never  again  be  sent 
to  Algiers  with  tribute,  unless  I  am  authorized  to  de 
liver  it  from  the  mouth  of  our  cannon." 

Of  course  the  other  states  of  the  Barbary  Coast 
hungered  for  their  share  of  the  spoils.  But  in  1801 
the  patience  of  the  United  States  was  exhausted,  and 


98  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

a  small  fleet  was  dispatched  to  the  Mediterranean  to 
awe  the  pirates.  Even  then  the  orders  were  to  avoid 
battle  and  to  take  no  prizes.  But  this  order  was  over 
ruled  in  letter  if  not  in  spirit  by  Captain  Sterrett  of 
the  little  schooner  "  Enterprise,"  who,  being  fired  upon 
by  a  Tripolitan  ship,  responded  fiercely  and  forced  her 
to  strike.  He  could  not  take  her  as  a  prize,  so  dis 
mantled  her,  threw  cannon,  small  arms,  and  cutlasses 
into  the  sea,  and  sent  her  home  with  this  message : 

Go  tell  the  Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  and  the  people  of  your  country 
that  in  future  they  may  expect  only  a  tribute  of  powder  and  ball 
from  the  sailors  of  the  United  States. 

This  was  the  one  action  in  which  any  of  the  vessels 
of  the  first  United  States  fleet  sent  to  the  Barbary 
Coast  engaged.  The  lesson  was  not  suflicient.  Amer 
ican  white  slaves  were  still  bought  and  sold  in  the 
markets  of  Tripoli  and  Algiers,  and  an  historian  writ 
ing  in  1795  applauds  the  United  States  government 
for  its  humanity  in  providing  each  of  these  with  a  suit 
of  clothes  yearly.  But  the  leaven  of  national  pride, 
the  sense  of  national  honor  in  the  young  Union  was 
gradually  working,  and  in  1802  a  true  expedition  of 
war  was  sent  to  the  Mediterranean.  The  vessels  were 
the  "  Chesapeake,"  thirty-eight;  "  Constellation," 
thirty-eight;  "New  York,"  thirty-six;  "  John  Adams," 
twenty-eight;  "  Adams,"  twenty-eight;  and  "Enter 
prise,"  twelve.  All  were  under  command  of  Com 
modore  Morris,  who  was  later  recalled  and  Commo 
dore  Preble  commissioned  in  his  place.  Five  more 
vessels  accompanied  him. 

For  the  first  year  the  service  of  this  fleet  was  moral 
rather  than  militant.  There  were  merchant  prizes 
taken,  blockades  maintained,  and  a  daring  descent  made 
upon  the  shipping  in  the  port  of  Tripoli  by  Lieutenant 
David  D.  Porter,  first  of  a  famous  naval  family.  But 


<      'C 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS         99 

for  the  two  great  events  of  the  war  with  the  Barbary 
powers  we  must  look  to  the  ensuing  year. 

It  was  in  October  that  the  "  Philadelphia,"  a  ship 
of  thirty-eight  guns,  under  command  of  Captain  Bain- 
bridge,  was  blockading  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  and  in 
chasing  a  merchantman  ran  aground  directly  under  the 
guns  at  the  fortress. 

The  Americans  were  then  in  a  most  dangerous  pre 
dicament.  The  sound  of  the  firing  had  drawn  a  swarm 
of  gunboats  out  of  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  and  they 
were  fast  bearing  down  upon  the  helpless  frigate. 
Every  possible  expedient  was  tried  for  the  release  of 
the  ship,  but  to  no  avail.  At  last  the  gunboats,  dis 
covering  her  helpless  condition,  crowded  so  thick  about 
her  that  there  was  no  course  open  but  to  strike.  And 
so,  after  flooding  the  magazine,  throwing  overboard 
all  the  small  arms,  and  knocking  holes  in  the  bottom 
of  the  ship,  Bainbridge  reluctantly  surrendered. 

Hardly  had  the  flag  touched  the  deck,  when  the  gun 
boats  were  alongside.  If  the  Americans  expected  civil 
ized  treatment,  they  were  sadly  mistaken,  for  an  un 
disciplined  rabble  came  swarming  over  the  taffrail. 
Lockers  and  chests  were  broken  open,  store-rooms  ran 
sacked,  officers  and  men  stripped  of  all  the  articles  of 
finery  they  were  wearing.  It  was  a  scene  of  unbridled 
pillage,  in  which  the  Tripolitan  officers  were  as  active 
as  their  men.  An  officer  being  held  fast  in  the  grasp 
of  two  of  the  Tripolitans,  a  third  would  ransack  his 
pockets,  and  strip  him  of  any  property  they  might 
covet.  Swords,  watches,  jewels,  and  money  were 
promptly  confiscated  by  the  captors;  and  they  even 
ripped  the  epaulets  from  the  shoulders  of  the  officers' 
uniforms.  No  resistance  was  made,  until  one  of  the 
pilferers  tried  to  tear  from  Bainbridge  an  ivory  minia 
ture  of  his  young  and  beautiful  wife.  Wresting  him 
self  free,  the  captain  knocked  down  the  vandal,  and 


ioo  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

made  so  determined  a  resistance  that  his  despoilers 
allowed  him  to  keep  the  picture. 

When  all  the  portable  property  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  victors,  the  Americans  were  loaded  into  boats, 
and  taken  ashore.  It  was  then  late  at  night;  but  the 
captives  were  marched  through  the  streets  to  the  palace 
of  the  Bashaw,  and  exhibited  to  that  functionary. 
After  expressing  great  satisfaction  at  the  capture,  the 
Bashaw  ordered  the  sailors  thrown  into  prison,  while 
the  officers  remained  that  night  as  his  guests.  He 
entertained  them  with  an  excellent  supper,  but  the  next 
morning  they  were  shown  to  the  gloomy  prison  apart 
ments  that  were  destined  to  be  their  home  until  the 
end  of  the  war. 

A  month  later  news  of  this  disaster  reached  Preble. 
At  once  the  Commodore,  with  his  flagship  "  Constitu 
tion  "  and  the  little  "  Enterprise,"  proceeded  to  take 
up  the  blockade  of  Tripoli. 

The  vessels  of  the  blockading  squadron,  from  their 
station  outside  the  bar,  could  see  the  captured  "  Phila 
delphia  "  riding  lightly  at  her  moorings  under  the  guns 
of  the  Tripolitan  batteries.  Her  captors  had  care 
fully  repaired  the  injuries  the  Americans  had  inflicted 
upon  the  vessel  before  surrendering.  Her  foremast 
was  again  in  place,  the  holes  in  her  bottom  were 
plugged,  the  scars  of  battle  were  effaced,  and  she  rode 
at  anchor  as  pretty  a  frigate  as  ever  delighted  the  eye 
of  a  tar. 

From  his  captivity  Bainbridge  had  written  letters  to 
Commodore  Preble,  with  postscripts  written  in  lemon- 
juice,  and  illegible  save  when  the  sheet  of  paper  was 
exposed  to  the  heat.  In  these  postscripts  he  urged  the 
destruction  of  the  u  Philadelphia." 

The  suggestion  appealed  to  Preble,  and  after  con 
sultation  with  Lieutenant  Stephen  Decatur  this  plan 
was  evolved.  On  the  way  to  the  blockading  station 


FOR  YOUNG  AME&ICANS       101 

a  ketch  had  been  captured  laden  with -female  slaves — 
a  gift  from  the  Bashaw  to  the  Sultan.  The  slaves  were 
set  free,  but  the  ketch  was  held  as  a  prize.  The  plan 
now  was  to  convert  the  captured  ketch  into  a  man- 
of-war,  man  her  with  volunteers,  and  with  her  attempt 
the  perilous  adventure  of  the  destruction  of  the  "  Phila 
delphia." 

The  project  once  broached  was  quickly  carried  into 
effect.  The  ketch  was  taken  into  the  service,  and  named 
the  "  Intrepid."  News  of  the  expedition  spread 
throughout  the  squadron,  and  many  officers  eagerly 
volunteered  their  services.  When  the  time  was  near 
at  hand,  Decatur  called  the  crew  of  the  "  Enterprise  " 
together,  told  them  of  the  plan  of  the  proposed  ex 
pedition,  pointed  out  its  dangers,  and  called  for  volun 
teers.  Every  man  and  boy  on  the  vessel  stepped  for 
ward  and  begged  to  be  taken.  Decatur  chose  sixty- 
two  picked  men,  and  was  about  to  leave  the  deck, 
when  his  steps  were  arrested  by  a  young  boy  who 
begged  hard  to  be  taken. 

"  Why  do  you  want  to  go,  Jack?  "  asked  the  com 
modore. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Jack,  "  you  see,  I'd  kinder  like  to 
see  the  country." 

The  oddity  of  the  boy's  reason  struck  Decatur's 
fancy,  and  he  told  Jack  to  report  with  the  rest. 

On  the  way,  Decatur  gave  his  forces  careful  instruc 
tions  as  to  the  method  of  attack.  The  Americans 
were  divided  into  several  boarding  parties,  each  with 
its  own  officer  and  work.  One  party  was  to  keep  pos 
session  of  the  upper  deck,  another  was  to  carry  the 
gun-deck,  a  third  should  drive  the  enemy  from  the 
steerage,  and  so  on.  All  were  to  carry  pistols  in  their 
belts;  but  the  fighting,  as  far  as  possible,  was  to  be 
done  with  cutlasses,  so  that  no  noise  might  alarm  the 
enemy  in  the  batteries,  and  the  vessels  in  the  port. 


102  STORY-  OF  OUR  NAVY 

One  party -was-- to  hover  near  the  "Philadelphia"  hi 
a  light  boat,  and  kill  all  Tripolitans  who  might  try  to 
escape  to  the  shore  by  swimming.  The  watchword 
for  the  night  was  "  Philadelphia." 

About  noon,  the  "  Intrepid  "  came  in  sight  of  the 
towers  of  Tripoli.  Both  the  ketch  and  the  "  Siren  " 
had  been  so  disguised  that  the  enemy  could  not  recog 
nize  them,  and  they  therefore  stood  boldly  for  the 
harbor.  As  the  wind  was  fresh,  Decatur  saw  that 
he  was  likely  to  make  port  before  night ;  and  he  there 
fore  dragged  a  cable  and  a  number  of  buckets  astern 
to  lessen  his  speed,  fearing  to  take  in  sail,  lest  the 
suspicions  of  the  enemy  should  be  aroused. 

When  within  about  five  miles  of  the  town,  the 
"  Philadelphia  "  became  visible.  She  floated  lightly 
at  her  anchorage  under  the  guns  of  two  heavy  bat 
teries.  Behind  her  lay  moored  two  Tripolitan  cruisers, 
and  near  by  was  a  fleet  of  gunboats.  It  was  a  powerful 
stronghold  into  which  the  Yankee  blue-jackets  were 
about  to  carry  the  torch. 

On  the  decks  of  the  "  Intrepid  "  but  twelve  men 
were  visible.  The  rest  lay  flat  on  the  deck,  in  the 
shadow  of  the  bulwarks  or  weather-boards.  Her 
course  was  laid  straight  for  the  bow  of  the  frigate, 
which  she  was  to  foul.  When  within  a  short  distance, 
a  hail  came  from  the  "  Philadelphia."  In  response, 
the  pilot  of  the  ketch  answered,  that  the  ketch  was  a 
coaster  from  Malta,  that  she  had  lost  her  anchors  in 
the  late  gale,  and  had  been  nearly  wrecked,  and  that 
she  now  asked  permission  to  ride  by  the  frigate  during 
the  night.  The  people  on  the  frigate  were  wholly 
deceived,  and  sent  out  ropes  to  the  ketch,  allowing  one 
of  the  boats  of  the  u  Intrepid  "  to  make  a  line  fast  to 
the  frigate.  The  ends  of  the  ropes  on  the  ketch  were 
passed  to  the  hidden  men,  who  pulled  lustily  upon 
them,  thus  bringing  the  little  craft  alongside  the  frigate. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        103 

But,  as  she  came  into  clearer  view,  the  suspicions  of 
the  Tripolitans  were  aroused;  and  when  at  last  the 
anchors  of  the  "  Intrepid  "  were  seen  hanging  in  their 
places  at  the  cat-heads,  the  Tripolitans  cried  out  that 
they  had  been  deceived,  and  warned  the  strangers  to 
keep  off.  At  the  same  moment  the  cry,  "  Americanos ! 
Americanos !  "  rang  through  the  ship,  and  the  alarm 
was  given. 

By  this  time  the  ketch  was  fast  to  the  frigate.  "  Fol 
low  me,  lads,"  cried  Decatur,  and  sprang  for  the  chain- 
plates  of  the  "  Philadelphia. "  Clinging  there,  he  re 
newed  his  order  to  board;  and  the  men  sprang  to  their 
feet,  and  were  soon  clambering  on  board  the  frigate. 
Lieutenant  Morris  first  trod  the  deck  of  the  "  Philadel 
phia,"  Decatur  followed  close  after,  and  then  the  stream 
of  men  over  the  rail  and  through  the  open  ports  was 
constant.  Complete  as  was  the  surprise,  the  entire 
absence  of  any  resistance  was  astonishing.  Few  of  the 
Turks  had  weapons  in  their  hands,  and  those  who  had 
fled  before  the  advancing  Americans.  On  all  sides 
the  splashing  of  water  told  that  the  affrighted  Turks 
were  trying  to  make  their  escape  that  way.  In  ten 
minutes  Decatur  and  his  men  had  complete  possession 
of  the  ship. 

The  combustibles  were  brought  from  the  ketch,  and 
piled  about  the  frigate,  and  lighted.  So  quickly  was 
the  work  done,  and  so  rapidly  did  the  flames  spread, 
that  the  people  who  lit  the  fires  in  the  store-rooms  and 
cockpit  had  scarce  time  to  get  on  deck  before  their 
retreat  was  cut  off  by  the  flames.  Before  the  ketch 
could  be  cast  off  from  the  sides  of  the  frigate,  the 
flames  came  pouring  out  of  the  portholes,  and  flaming 
sparks  fell  aboard  the  smaller  vessel,  so  that  the  am 
munition  which  lay  piled  amidships  was  in  grave  danger 
of  being  exploded.  Axes  and  cutlasses  were  swung 
with  a  will;  and  soon  the  bonds  which  held  the  two 


104  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

vessels  together  were  cut,  and  the  ketch  was  pushed  off. 
Then  the  blue-jackets  bent  to  their  sweeps,  and  soon 
the  "  Intrepid  "  was  under  good  headway. 

"  Now,  lads,"  cried  Decatur,  "  give  them  three 
cheers." 

And  the  jackies  responded  with  ringing  cheers,  that 
mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  flames  that  now  had  the 
frame  of  the  "  Philadelphia  "  in  their  control.  Then 
they  grasped  their  sweeps  again,  and  the  little  vessel 
glided  away  through  a  hail  of  grape  and  round  shot 
from  the  Tripolitan  batteries  and  men-of-war.  Though 
the  whistle  of  the  missiles  was  incessant,  and  the  splash 
of  round-shot  striking  the  water  could  be  heard  on 
every  side,  no  one  in  the  boat  was  hurt;  and  the  only 
shot  that  touched  the  ketch  went  harmlessly  through 
her  mainsail.  As  they  pulled  away,  they  saw  the  flames 
catch  the  rigging  of  the  "  Philadelphia,"  and  run  high 
up  the  masts.  Then  the  hatchways  were  burst  open, 
and  great  gusts  of  flame  leaped  out.  The  shotted 
guns  of  the  frigate  were  discharged  in  quick  succession ; 
one  battery  sending  its  iron  messengers  into  the  streets 
of  Tripoli,  while  the  guns  on  the  other  side  bore  upon 
Fort  English.  The  angry  glare  of  the  flames,  and 
the  flash  of  the  cannon,  lighted  up  the  bay;  while  the 
thunders  of  the  cannonade  and  the  cries  of  the  Tripoli- 
tans  told  of  the  storm  that  was  raging. 

Not  a  man  had  been  lost  in  the  whole  affair.  As 
the  expedition  had  been  perfect  in  conception,  so  it  was 
perfect  in  execution.  The  adventure  became  the  talk 
of  all  Europe.  Lord  Nelson,  England's  greatest  ad 
miral,  said  of  it:  "It  was  the  most  bold  and  daring 
act  of  the  ages."  And  when  the  news  reached  the 
United  States,  Decatur,  despite  his  youth,  was  made  a 
captain. 

The  great  name  of  the  war  with  Tripoli  is  that  of 
Stephen  Decatur.  The  story  of  the  events  with  which 


3y  courtesy  of  Hem.  Then.  Sutro  Copyright,  1^98,  by  Edward  Mornu 

BURNING  OF  THE   FRIGATE   "PHILADELPHIA" 
(In  the  Harbor  of  Tripoli,  February  16,  1804) 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        105 

he  was  identified,  and  one  other,  which  will  close  this 
chapter,  is  in  effect  the  story  of  the  whole  war. 

In  August,  1804,  Preble  determined  to  change  the 
blockade  of  Tripoli  into  a  spirited  attack  upon  the 
town  and  its  defences.  The  attack  was  ineffective. 
Wooden  ships  proved  no  match  for  stone  walls.  There 
is,  therefore,  no  need  to  go  into  detail  as  to  the  tactics 
adopted,  but  some  of  the  picturesque  incidents  will  be 
of  interest. 

Decatur's  part  in  the  enterprise  was  to  seek  to  cap 
ture  nine  Tripolitan  gunboats  that  formed  part  of  the 
defensive  force  of  the  harbor.  He  had  under  his 
command  four,  but  this  slender  force  he  led  directly 
under  the  enemy's  guns. 

Fearfully  were  the  Americans  outnumbered.  They 
could  hope  for  no  help  from  their  friends  in  the  men- 
of-war  in  the  rear.  They  were  hemmed  in  on  all 
sides  by  hostile  gunboats,  more  strongly  manned,  and 
heavier  in  metal,  than  they.  They  were  outnumbered 
three  to  one;  for  gunboat  No.  3,  which  had  belonged 
to  Decatur's  division,  had  drawn  out  of  the  fight  in 
obedience  to  a  signal  for  recall,  which  had  been  dis 
played  by  mistake  on  the  "  Constitution."  Then  De- 
catur  displayed  his  desperate  courage.  Signalling  to 
his  companions  to  close  with  their  adversaries  and 
board,  he  laid  his  vessel  alongside  the  nearest  gunboat; 
and  in  a  trice  every  American  of  the  crew  was  swarm 
ing  over  the  enemy's  bulwarks.  Taken  by  surprise, 
the  Turks  retreated.  The  gunboat  was  divided  down 
the  centre  by  a  long,  narrow  hatchway;  and  as  the 
Yankees  came  tumbling  over  the  bulwarks,  the  Turks 
retreated  to  the  farther  side.  This  gave  Decatur  time 
to  rally  his  men;  and,  dividing  them  into  two  parties, 
he  sent  one  party  around  by  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
while  he  led  the  others  around  the  bow.  The  Turks 
were  dazed  by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack,  and  cowed 


io6  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

by  the  fearful  effect  of  the  Americans'  last  volley  before 
boarding.  Their  captain  lay  dead,  with  fourteen  bul 
lets  in  his  body.  Many  of  the  officers  were  wounded, 
and  all  the  survivors  were  penned  into  a  narrow  space 
by  the  two  parties  of  blue-jackets.  The  contest  was 
short.  Hampered  by  lack  of  room  in  which  to  wield 
their  weapons,  the  Turks  were  shot  down  or  bayoneted. 
Many  leaped  over  the  gunwale  into  the  sea ;  many  were 
thrown  into  the  open  hatchway;  and  the  remnant, 
throwing  down  their  arms,  pleaded  piteously  for  quar 
ter.  Decatur  had  no  time  to  exult  in  his  victory.  Has 
tily  securing  his  prisoners  below  decks,  and  making  his 
prize  fast  to  his  own  vessel,  he  bore  down  upon  the 
Tripolitan  next  to  leeward. 

Meanwhile  Decatur  had  been  informed  that  his 
brother  had  been  treacherously  shot  and  killed  by  the 
captain  of  a  Tripolitan  gunboat  after  the  flag  had  been 
struck. 

Decatur's  grief  for  the  death  of  his  brother  gave 
way,  for  the  time,  to  his  anger  on  account  of  the  base 
treachery  by  which  the  victim  met  his  death.  Casting 
prudence  to  the  winds,  he  turned  his  boat's  prow  to 
wards  the  gunboat  of  the  murderer,  and,  urging  on 
his  rowers,  soon  laid  the  enemy  aboard.  Cutlass  in 
hand,  Decatur  was  first  on  the  deck  of  the  enemy. 
Behind  him  followed  close  Lieutenant  Macdonough 
and  nine  blue-jackets.  Nearly  forty  Turks  were  ready 
to  receive  the  boarders.  As  the  boarders  came  over 
the  rail,  they  fired  their  pistols  at  the  enemy,  and  then 
sprang  down,  cutlass  in  hand.  The  Turks  outnum 
bered  them  five  to  one;  but  the  Americans  rallied  in  a 
bunch,  and  dealt  lusty  blows  right  and  left.  At  last, 
Decatur  singled  out  a  man  whom  he  felt  sure  was  the 
commander,  and  the  murderer  of  his  brother.  He 
was  a  man  of  gigantic  frame;  his  head  covered  with 
a  scarlet  cap,  his  face  half  hidden  by  a  bristly  black 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        107 

beard.  He  was  armed  with  a  heavy  boarding-pike, 
with  which  he  made  a  fierce  lunge  at  Decatur.  The 
American  parried  the  blow,  and  made  a  stroke  at  the 
pike,  hoping  to  cut  off  its  point  But  the  force  of  the 
blow  injured  the  Tripolitan's  weapon  not  a  whit,  while 
Decatur's  cutlass  broke  short  off  at  the  hilt.  With  a 
tyell  of  triumph  the  Turk  lunged  again.  Decatur 
threw  up  his  arm,  and  partially  avoided  the  thrust;  so 
that  the  pike  pierced  his  breast,  but  inflicted  only  a 
slight  wound.  Grappling  the  weapon,  Decatur  tore  it 
from  the  wound,  wrested  it  from  the  Turk,  and  made 
a  lunge  at  him,  which  he  avoided.  The  combatants 
then  clinched  and  fell  to  the  deck,  fiercely  struggling  for 
life  and  death.  About  them  fought  their  followers, 
who  strove  to  aid  their  respective  commanders.  Sud 
denly  a  Tripolitan  officer,  who  had  fought  his  way 
to  a  place  above  the  heads  of  the  two  officers,  aimed 
a  blow  at  the  head  of  Decatur.  His  victim  was  power 
less  to  guard  himself.  One  American  sailor  only  was 
at  hand.  This  was  Reuben  James,  a  young  man  whose 
desperate  fighting  had  already  cost  him  wounds  in 
both  arms,  so  that  he  could  not  lift  a  hand  to  save  his 
commander.  But,  though  thus  desperately  wounded, 
James  had  yet  one  offering  to  lay  before  his  captain— 
his  life.  And  he  showed  himself  willing  to  make  this 
last  and  greatest  sacrifice,  by  thrusting  his  head  into 
the  path  of  the  descending  scimitar,  and  taking  upon 
his  own  skull  the  blow  intended  for  Decatur.  The 
hero  fell  bleeding  to  the  deck;  a  pistol-shot  from  an 
American  ended  the  career  of  the  Turk,  and  Decatur 
was  left  to  struggle  with  his  adversary  upon  the  deck. 
But  by  this  time  the  great  strength  of  the  Turkish 
captain  was  beginning  to  tell  in  the  death-struggle.  His 
right  arm  was  clasped  like  an  iron  band  around  the 
American  captain,  while  with  his  left  hand  he  drew 
from  his  belt  a  short  yataghan,  which  he  was  about  to 


io8  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

plunge  into  the  throat  of  his  foe.  Decatur  lay  on 
his  side,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  face  of  his  foe. 
He  saw  the  look  of  triumph  flash  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Turk;  he  saw  the  gleaming  steel  of  the  yataghan  as 
it  was  drawn  from  its  sheath.  Mustering  all  his 
strength,  he  writhed  in  the  grasp  of  his  burly  foe.  He 
wrested  his  left  arm  clear,  and  caught  the  Turk's  wrist 
just  as  the  fatal  blow  was  falling;  then  with  his  right 
hand  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a  small  pistol.  Press 
ing  this  tightly  against  the  back  of  his  enemy,  he  fired. 
The  ball  passed  through  the  body  of  the  Turk,  and 
lodged  in  Decatur's  clothing.  A  moment  later  the 
Tripolitan's  hold  relaxed,  and  he  fell  back  dead;  while 
Decatur,  covered  with  his  own  blood  and  that  of  his 
foe,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  stood  amidst  the  pile  of  dead 
and  wounded  men  that  had  gathered  during  the  struggle 
around  the  battling  chiefs. 

The  fall  of  their  captain  disheartened  the  Tripoli- 
tans,  and  they  speedily  threw  down  their  arms.  The 
prize  was  then  towed  out  of  the  line  of  battle;  and, 
as  by  this  time  the  American  gunboats  were  drawing 
off,  Decatur  took  his  prizes  into  the  shelter  of  the 
flagship. 

When  the  squadron  had  made  an  offing,  Preble 
hoisted  a  signal  for  the  commanders  to  come  aboard 
the  flagship,  and  make  their  reports.  He  was  sorely 
disappointed  in  the  outcome  of  the  fray,  and  little  in 
clined  to  recognize  the  conspicuous  instances  of  indi 
vidual  gallantry  shown  by  his  officers.  He  had  set 
his  heart  upon  capturing  the  entire  fleet  of  nine  Tripoli- 
tan  gunboats,  and  the  escape  of  six  of  them  had  roused 
his  naturally  irascible  disposition  to  fury.  As  he 
stalked  his  quarter-deck,  morose  and  silent,  Decatur 
came  aboard.  The  young  officer  still  woce  the  bloody, 
smoke-begrimed  uniform  in  which  he  had  grappled  with 
the  Turk,  his  face  was  begrimed  with  powder,  his 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        109 

hands  and  breast  covered  with  blood.  As  he  walked 
to  the  quarter-deck,  he  was  the  centre  of  observation 
of  all  on  the  flagship.  Stepping  up  to  the  commodore, 
he  said  quietly: 

"  Well,  commodore,  I  have  brought  you  out  three 
of  the  gunboats." 

Preble  turned  upon  him  fiercely,  seized  him  with 
both  hands  by  the  collar,  and  shaking  him  like  a  school 
boy,  snarled  out: 

"  Ay,  sir,  why  did  you  not  bring  me  more?  " 

The  blood  rushed  to  Decatur's  face.  The  insult 
was  more  than  he  could  bear.  His  hand  sought  his 
dagger,  but  the  commodore  had  left  the  quarter-deck. 
Turning  on  his  heel,  the  outraged  officer  walked  to 
the  side,  and  called  his  boat,  determined  to  leave  the 
ship  at  once.  But  the  officers  crowded  about  him, 
begging  him  to  be  calm,  and  reminding  him  of  the 
notoriously  quick  temper  of  the  commodore.  While 
they  talked,  there  came  a  cabin  steward  with  a  mes 
sage:  u  The  commodore  wishes  to  see  Captain  De- 
catur  below."  Decatur  hesitated  a  moment,  then 
obeyed.  Some  time  passed,  but  he  did  not  reappear 
on  deck.  The  officers  became  anxious,  and  at  last, 
upon  some  pretext,  one  sought  the  commodore's  cabin. 
There  he  found  Preble  and  Decatur,  sitting  together, 
friendly,  but  both  silent,  and  in  tears.  The  apology 
had  been  made  and  accepted. 

There  is  one  humble  actor  in  the  first  attack  upon 
Tripoli  whom  we  cannot  abandon  without  a  word. 
This  is  Reuben  James.  That  heroic  young  sailor 
quickly  recovered  from  the  bad  wound  he  received  when 
he  interposed  his  own  head  to  save  his  commander's 
life.  One  day  Decatur  called  him  aft,  and  publicly 
asked  him  what  could  be  done  to  reward  him  for  his 
unselfish  heroism.  The  sailor  was  embarrassed  and 
nonplussed.  He  rolled  his  quid  of  tobacco  in  his 


no  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

mouth,  and  scratched  his  head,  without  replying.  His 
shipmates  were  eager  with  advice.  "  Double  pay,  Jack: 
the  old  man  will  refuse  you  nothing  ";  "a  boatswain's 
berth  ";  "a  pocketful  of  money  and  shore  leave,"  were 
among  the  suggestions.  But  James  put  them  aside. 
He  had  decided. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  he,  "  let  somebody  else 
hand  out  the  hammocks  to  the  men  when  they  are 
piped  down.  That  is  a  sort  of  business  that  I  don't 
exactly  like." 

The  boon  was  granted;  and  ever  afterwards,  when 
the  crew  was  piped  to  stow  away  hammocks,  Reuben 
James  sauntered  about  the  decks  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  the  very  personification  of  elegant  leisure. 

With  one  last  instance  of  American  gallantry  on  the 
ocean  this  survey  of  the  events  of  the  war  with  Tripoli 
may  be  closed.  Commodore  Preble,  and  the  officers 
under  his  command,  had  about  reached  the  conclusion 
that  Tripoli  could  not  be  reduced  by  bombardment. 
Accordingly  they  cast  about  for  some  new  method  of 
attack.  The  plan  that  was  finally  adopted  proved 
unfortunate  in  this  instance,  just  as  similar  schemes  for 
the  reduction  of  fortresses  have  proved  futile  through 
out  all  history.  Briefly  stated,  the  plan  was  to  send 
a  fire-ship,  or  rather  a  floating  mine,  into  the  harbor, 
to  explode  before  the  walls  of  the  fortress,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  enemy's  cruisers. 

The  ketch  "  Intrepid,"  which  had  carried  Decatur 
and  his  daring  followers  out  of  the  harbor  of  Tripoli, 
leaving  the  "  Philadelphia  "  burning  behind  them,  was 
still  with  the  fleet.  This  vessel  was  chosen,  and  with 
all  possible  speed  was  converted  into  an  "  infernal," 
or  floating  mine.  "  A  small  room,  or  magazine,  had 
been  planked  up  in  the  hold  of  the  ketch,  just  forward 
of  her  principal  mast,"  writes  Fenimore  Cooper. 
"  Communicating  with  this  magazine  was  a  trunk,  or 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        in 

tube,  that  led  aft  to  another  room  filled  with  com 
bustibles.  In  the  planked  room,  or  magazine,  were 
placed  one  hundred  barrels  of  gunpowder  in  bulk;  and 
on  the  deck,  immediately  above  the  powder,  were  laid 
fifty  thirteen-and-a-half-inch  shells,  and  one  hundred 
nine-inch  shells,  with  a  large  quantity  of  shot,  pieces 
of  kentledge,  and  fragments  of  iron  of  different  sorts. 
A  train  was  laid  in  the  trunk,  or  tube,  and  fuses  were 
attached  in  the  proper  manner.  In  addition  to  this 
arrangement,  the  other  small  room  mentioned  was  filled 
with  splinters  and  light  wood,  which,  besides  firing  the 
train,  were  to  keep  the  enemy  from  boarding,  as  the 
flames  would  be  apt  to  induce  them  to  apprehend  an 
immediate  explosion." 

Such  was  the  engine  of  death  prepared.  The  plan 
of  operations  was  simply  to  put  a  picked  crew  on  this 
floating  volcano,  choose  a  dark  night,  take  the  "  infer 
nal  "  into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  squadron,  fire  it, 
and  let  the  crew  escape  in  boats  as  best  they  might. 

The  leadership  of  this  desperate  enterprise  was  in 
trusted  to  Lieutenant  Richard  Somers.  Indeed,  it  is 
probable  that  the  idea  itself  originated  with  him,  for 
a  commanding  officer  would  be  little  likely  to  assign 
a  subordinate  a  duty  so  hazardous.  Moreover,  there 
existed  between  Decatur  and  Somers  a  generous  rivalry. 
Each  strove  to  surpass  the  other;  and  since  Decatur's 
exploit  with  the  "  Philadelphia,"  Somers  had  been  seek 
ing  an  opportunity  to  win  equal  distinction.  It  is 
generally  believed,  that,  having  conceived  the  idea  of 
the  "  infernal,"  he  suggested  it  to  Preble,  and  claimed 
for  himself  the  right  to  execute  it. 

It  was  September  4th,  the  day  following  the  last 
attack  upon  Tripoli.  The  sky  was  overcast  and  lower 
ing,  and  gave  promise  of  a  dark  night.  Fully  con 
vinced  that  the  time  for  action  was  at  hand,  Somers 
called  together  the  handful  of  brave  fellows  who  were 


ii2  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

to  follow  him,  and  briefly  addressed  them.  He  told 
them  he  wished  no  man  to  go  with  him  who  did  not 
prefer  being  blown  up  to  being  captured.  For  his 
part,  he  would  much  prefer  such  a  fate,  and  he  wished 
his  followers  to  agree  with  him.  For  answer  the  brave 
fellows  gave  three  cheers,  and  crowded  round  him,  each 
asking  to  be  selected  to  apply  the  match. 

It  was  after  dusk  when  the  devoted  adventurers 
boarded  the  powder-laden  ketch,  as  she  lay  tossing  at 
her  anchorage.  Shortly  after  they  had  taken  posses 
sion,  a  boat  came  alongside  with  Decatur  and  Lieu 
tenant  Stewart  in  the  stern-sheets.  The  officers  greeted 
their  comrades  with  some  emotion.  They  were  all 
about  of  an  age,  followed  one  loved  profession,  and 
each  had  given  proofs  of  his  daring.  When  the  time 
came  for  them  to  part,  the  leave-taking  was  serious, 
but  tranquil.  Somers  took  from  his  finger  a  ring,  and, 
breaking  it  into  four  pieces,  gave  one  to  each  of  his 
friends.  Then  with  hearty  handshakings,  and  good 
wishes  for  success,  Decatur  and  Stewart  left  their 
friends. 

As  far  as  the  harbor's  mouth,  she  was  accompanied 
by  the  "  Argus,"  the  "  Vixen,"  and  the  "  Nautilus." 
There  they  left  her,  and  she  pursued  her  way  alone. 
It  was  a  calm,  foggy  night.  A  few  stars  could  be 
seen  glimmering  through  the  haze,  and  a  light  breeze 
ruffled  the  water,  and  wafted  the  sloop  gently  along 
her  course.  From  the  three  vessels  that  waited  out 
side  the  harbor's  mouth,  eager  watchers  with  night- 
glasses  kept  their  gaze  riveted  upon  the  spectral  form 
of  the  ketch,  as  she  slowly  receded  from  their  sight. 
Fainter  and  fainter  grew  the  outline  of  her  sails,  until 
at  last  they  were  lost  to  sight  altogether.  Then  fitful 
flashes  from  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  the  harsh  thun 
der  of  the  cannon,  told  that  she  had  been  sighted  by 
the  foe.  The  anxious  watchers  paced  their  decks  with 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        113 

bated  breath.  Though  no  enemy  was  near  to  hear 
them,  they  spoke  in  whispers.  The  shadow  of  a  great 
awe,  the  weight  of  some  great  calamity,  seemed  crush 
ing  them. 

"What  was  that?" 

All  started  at  the  abrupt  exclamation.  Through  the 
haze  a  glimmering  light  had  been  seen  to  move  rapidly 
along  the  surface  of  the  water,  as  though  a  lantern 
were  being  carried  along  a  deck.  Suddenly  it  dis 
appeared,  as  though  dropped  down  a  hatchway.  A 
few  seconds  passed, — seconds  that  seemed  like  hours. 
Then  there  shot  up  into  the  sky  a  dazzling  jet  of  fire. 
A  roar  like  that  of  a  huge  volcano  shook  earth  and 
sea.  The  vessels  trembled  at  their  moorings.  The 
concussion  of  the  air  threw  men  upon  the  decks.  Then 
the  mast  of  the  ketch,  with  its  sail  blazing,  was  seen 
to  rise  straight  into  the  air,  and  fall  back.  Bombs  with 
burning  fuses  flew  in  every  direction.  The  distant 
sound  of  heavy  bodies  falling  into  the  water  and  on 
the  rocks  was  heard.  Then  all  was  still.  Even  the 
Tripolitan  batteries  were  silent. 

For  a  moment  a  great  sorrow  fell  upon  the  Amer 
icans.  Then  came  the  thought  that  Somers  and  his 
brave  men  might  have  left  the  ketch  before  the  explo 
sion.  All  listened  for  approaching  oars.  Minutes 
lengthened  into  hours,  and  still  no  sound  was  heard. 
Men  hung  from  the  sides  of  the  vessels,  with  their 
ears  to  the  water,  in  the  hope  of  catching  the  sound 
of  the  coming  boats.  But  all  was  in  vain.  Day  broke; 
the  shattered  wreck  of  the  "  Intrepid  "  could  be  seen 
within  the  harbor,  and  near  it  two  injured  Tripolitan 
gunboats.  But  of  Somers  and  his  brave  fellows  no 
trace  could  be  seen,  nor  were  they  ever  again  beheld 
by  their  companions. 

It  may  be  said  that  this  episode  terminated  the  war 
with  Tripoli.  Thereafter  it  was  but  a  series  of  block- 


ii4  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

ades  and  diplomatic  negotiations.  Commodore  Barron 
relieved  Preble,  and  maintained  the  blockade,  without 
any  offensive  operations,  until  peace  was  signed  in  June, 
1805.  The  conditions  of  that  peace  cannot  be  too 
harshly  criticised.  By  it  the  United  States  paid  sixty 
thousand  dollars  for  American  prisoners  in  the  hands 
of  the  Bashaw,  thus  yielding  to  demands  for  ransom 
which  no  civilized  nation  should  for  a  moment  have 
considered.  The  concession  was  all  the  more  unnec 
essary,  because  a  native  force  of  insurrectionists,  re 
inforced  by  a  few  Americans,  was  marching  upon 
Tripoli  from  the  rear,  and  would  have  soon  brought 
the  Bashaw  to  terms.  But  it  was  not  the  part  of  the 
navy  to  negotiate  the  treaty.  That  rested  with  the 
civilians.  The  duty  of  the  blue-jackets  had  been  to 
fight  for  their  country's  honor;  and  that  they  had  dis 
charged  this  duty  well,  no  reader  of  these  pages  can 
deny. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Quasi-war  with  France — "  Constellation  "  and  "  Insurgente  " — 
Decatur  Once  More — "Little  Jarvis,"  a  Boy  Here. 

THERE  has  been  no  more  curious  episode  in  the  history 
of  the  United  States,  or  perhaps  in  all  history  of  mod 
ern  times,  than  the  spluttering  war  on  the  sea  with 
the  French  in  the  years  1798-1800.  The  two  coun 
tries  were  at  peace.  Their  peoples  expressed  and  felt 
for  each  other  the  liveliest  friendship,  even  affection. 
Franklin  had  not  been  forgotten  in  France,  nor  La 
fayette  in  America.  The  two  governments  were  amica 
ble.  A  French  minister  was  at  Philadelphia ;  an  Amer 
ican  at  Versailles.  And  yet  on  the  ocean  French  and 
American  ships  were  fighting  pitched  and  sanguinary 
battles,  in  which  the  defeated  one,  instead  of  being 
made  a  prize,  refitted  and  sailed  away  to  some  friendly 
port  while  the  victor  expressed  polite  regret  for  the 
occurrence. 

It  all  grew  out  of  the  war  between  France  and  Eng 
land,  with  the  English  insistence  upon  impressing  Amer 
ican  seamen  as  the  irritating  cause.  That  practice, 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  had  so  much  to  do  with  bring 
ing  on  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  had  been  revived 
with  increased  vigor  by  the  British.  France  thought 
it  saw  in  this  an  opportunity  to  force  the  young  United 
States  to  become  its  ally  against  the  Island  Nation. 

Accordingly  an  order  was  issued  to  all  French  men- 
of-war  to  treat  American  vessels  exactly  as  the  Amer 
icans  permitted  themselves  to  be  treated  by  the  British. 
So  if  a  British  man-of-war  pressed  three  men  from 
an  American  brig,  the  first  French  man-of-war  to  detect 
the  fact  would  press  three  more.  Thus  between  the 

us 


n6  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

upper  and  nether  millstones  was  the  growing  commerce 
of  the  young  nation  ground.  But  in  1799  the  patience 
of  the  American  government  was  exhausted,  and  such 
ships  as  were  in  commission  were  sent  to  inflict  reprisals 
upon  the  French  privateers.  But  all  the  while  there 
was  no  declaration  of  war. 

The  war  was  very  real,  however,  even  without  any 
declaration,  as  may  well  be  judged  from  the  story  of 
some  typical  actions.  The  absence  of  a  formal  declara 
tion  of  war  made  many  French  privateers  assume  an 
injured  air,  on  being  captured  by  United  States  ships. 
With  a  Frenchman  of  this  sort,  Stephen  Decatur  the 
younger  had  an  experience  early  in  his  naval  career. 

This  occurred  in  February,  1799.  The  frigate 
"  United  States  "  was  cruising  near  Martinique  in  that 
year,  and  to  her  young  Decatur  was  attached  as  a  sub 
lieutenant.  One  morning  a  French  privateer  was 
sighted,  and  the  frigate  set  out  in  hot  pursuit.  The 
privateer  took  the  alarm  quickly,  and  crowded  on  all 
sail,  until  her  long,  narrow  hull  slipped  through  the 
waves  like  a  fish.  The  breeze  was  fresh,  and  the 
chase  an  exciting  one;  but  gradually  the  immense  spread 
of  the  frigate's  canvas  began  to  tell,  and  she  rapidly 
overhauled  the  fugitive.  The  French  captain  was 
plucky,  and  even  desperate,  in  his  attempt  to  escape; 
for,  seeing  that  he  was  about  to  be  overhauled,  he  re 
sorted  to  the  expedient  of  a  fox  chased  by  hounds,  and 
doubled,  turning  short  to  windward,  and  running  right 
under  the  guns  of  the  frigate.  The  move  was  a  bold 
one,  and  might  well  have  succeeded,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  good  marksmanship  of  a  gunner  on  the  frigate, 
who  promptly  sent  a  twenty- four-pound  shot  (the  only 
one  fired  in  the  affair)  straight  through  the  hull  of  the 
privateer,  between  wind  and  water.  In  an  instant  all 
was  confusion  on  the  French  vessel.  The  water  poured 
into  her  hold  through  the  hole  cut  by  the  shot;  and 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        117 

the  hasty  lowering  of  her  sails,  and  the  frantic  howls 
for  succor  from  the  crew,  told  the  people  of  the 
"  United  States  "  that  their  chase  was  at  an  end.  The 
boats  of  the  frigate  were  quickly  lowered,  and  Decatur 
went  in  one  as  officer  in  command.  When  he  reached 
the  sinking  ship,  he  found  a  scene  too  ludicrous  to  be 
pathetic.  Along  the  rail  of  the  vessel,  from  bow  to 
stern,  the  Frenchmen  were  perched  like  birds.  Many 
had  stripped  off  all  their  clothes,  in  order  to  be  pre 
pared  to  swim;  and  from  all  arose  a  medley  of  plaintive 
cries  for  help,  and  curses  on  that  unlucky  shot.  By 
skilful  management  of  the  boats,  all  were  saved;  and 
it  happened  that  Decatur  pulled  into  his  own  boat  the 
captain  of  the  sinking  vessel. 

Brushing  the  salt  water  out  of  his  eyes,  this  worthy 
expressed  great  surprise  that  he  had  been  fired  upon 
by  a  vessel  bearing  the  United  States  flag% 

"  Ees  eet  that  that  ees  a  sheep  of  les  Etats-Unis?  " 
he  inquired,  in  the  broken  English  that  four  years  of 
cruising  against  Americans  had  enabled  him  to  pick  up. 

"  It  is,"  responded  Decatur. 

"I  am  indeed  sairprised.  I  had  not  thought  that 
les  Etats-Unis  had  the  war  with  La  Republique  Fran- 
caise." 

u  No,  sir,"  responded  Decatur,  thoroughly  provoked; 
"  but  you  knew  that  the  French  Republic  was  at  war 
with  the  United  States,  that  you  were  taking  our 
merchant-vessels  every  day,  and  crowding  our  country 
men  into  prison  at  Basseterre  to  die  like  sheep." 

A  later  and  a  fiercer  contest  occurred  between  the 
"  Constellation  "  and  the  "  Insurgente."  The  Amer 
ican  ship  was  cruising  in  the  West  Indies  and  encoun 
tered  a  man-of-war  which  failed  to  show  her  colors. 
Signals  were  set,  but  no  answering  signal  came.  At 
last,  after  long  "  jockeying,"  the  stranger  showed 
French  colors,  and  the  battle  was  on !  This,  too,  when 


n8  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

no  war  existed  between  the  United  States  and  France. 
The  challenging  colors  were  raised  by  the  Frenchman. 
On  the  "  Constellation  "  the  challenge  aroused  uni 
versal  enthusiasm.  For  the  first  time  since  the  Revolu 
tion,  the  gallant  defenders  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were 
to  have  an  opportunity  to  try  their  strength  with  a 
hostile  man-of-war.  The  enemy  seemed  no  less  ready 
for  the  conflict,  and  waited  gallantly  for  the  "  Con 
stellation  "  to  come  down  to  closer  quarters.  From 
both  ships  came  the  roll  of  the  drums  and  the  shrill 
pipings  of  the  bo's'n's  whistle,  as  the  men  were  called 
to  quarters.  Then  all  became  still,  and  the  two  frig 
ates  bore  down  upon  each  other.  Neither  antagonist 
was  hasty  about  opening  fire,  and  the  report  of  the 
first  gun  came  from  the  Yankee  when  she  had  come 
into  point-blank  range.  Then  began  the  thunderous 
broadsides,  that  soon  enveloped  the  hulls  of  the  two 
ships  in  dense  gray  smoke;  so  that,  to  an  observer  at 
a  little  distance,  all  that  could  be  seen  of  the  fight  was 
the  tapering  masts  and  yard-arms,  above  the  smoke, 
crowded  with  sailors  repairing  damages,  and  nimble 
young  midshipmen  shrilly  ordering  about  the  grizzled 
seamen,  and  now  and  again  taking  a  crack  at  the  enemy 
with  pistol  or  musket,  by  way  of  recreation.  In  the 
foretop  of  the  "  Constellation  "  was  stationed  young 
David  Porter,  who  in  that  trying  moment  showed  the 
result  of  his  hard  schooling  in  the  merchant-service,  of 
which  we  have  spoken.  By  the  rapid  fire  of  the  enemy, 
the  foretopmast  was  badly  cut,  and  there  was  great 
danger  that  it  might  go  by  the  board.  Porter  hailed 
the  deck  several  times  for  instructions,  but,  finding  that 
his  voice  could  not  be  heard  above  the  roar  of  battle, 
determined  to  act  upon  his  own  responsibility,  and  ac 
cordingly  cut  away  the  sails,  lowered  the  yards,  and, 
by  relieving  the  injured  spar  of  all  strain,  prevented 
its  falling.  In  the  meantime  the  battle  raged  fiercely 


COMMODORE  STEPHEN  DECATUR 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       119 

below.  The  American  frigate  was  more  powerful  in 
her  armament,  and  better  handled,  than  the  French 
man.  Her  guns  were  handled  with  deliberation,  and 
the  aim  of  the  gunners  was  sure  and  deadly;  while  the 
shot  from  the  enemy  went  hurtling  through  the  rigging 
of  the  "  Constellation, "  doing  but  little  damage.  The 
decks  of  the  Frenchman  were  covered  with  dead  and 
wounded,  and  at  last  two  raking  broadsides  from  the 
American  frigate  ended  the  conflict.  When  the  van 
quished  ship  was  boarded,  she  proved  to  be  the  "  In- 
surgente,"  the  same  frigate  that  had  captured  the  "  Re 
taliation  "  some  months  before.  Her  loss  in  this  en 
gagement  amounted  to  twenty-nine  killed  and  forty-one 
wounded,  while  the  cockpit  of  the  "  Constellation  "  was 
tenanted  by  but  three  wounded  men ;  and  but  one  Amer 
ican  had  lost  his  life,  he  having  been  killed  by  an 
officer,  for  cowardice.  Both  ships  were  badly  cut  up 
in  the  engagement. 

The  news  of  this  victory  was  received  with  great 
rejoicing  in  the  United  States,  and  was  celebrated  with 
cannon-firing  and  the  ringing  of  bells.  At  Boston,  the 
fourth  Sunday  in  March  was  set  for  a  day  of  general 
rejoicing;  and  on  that  day  huge  crowds  gathered  in 
State  Street,  and  after  salutes  had  been  fired,  and  the 
city's  bells  pealed,  the  people,  at  a  given  signal,  joined 
in  three  mighty  cheers,  that  fairly  shook  the  surround 
ing  houses,  for  Truxton,  the  "  Constellation,"  the  blue 
jackets,  and  the  success  of  the  wooden  walls  of  America. 

Even  after  the  "  Insurgente  "  had  struck  her  flag, 
the  tars  of  the  "  Constellation  "  found  they  had  an 
elephant  on  their  hands.  The  work  of  transferring 
the  prisoners  was  begun,  and  actively  prosecuted;  but, 
when  night  fell,  there  were  still  nearly  two  hundred 
Frenchmen  on  the  prize.  The  wind  was  rising  fast, 
and  the  long  rollers  of  the  Atlantic  were  being  lashed 
into  foaming  breakers  by  the  rising  gale.  It  was 


120  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

hazardous  for  the  two  vessels  to  continue  near  each 
other;  and  Lieutenant  Rodgers,  with  Midshipman  Por 
ter  and  eleven  men,  was  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the 
prize,  and  bring  her  into  port.  When  the  officers 
boarded  the  prize,  they  found  that  they  had  indeed  a 
desperate  undertaking  before  them.  It  was  difficult 
enough  for  thirteen  men  to  handle  the  great  ship,  with 
out  having  to  keep  in  subjection  one  hundred  and  sev 
enty-three  captives.  To  add  to  the  danger,  the  grat 
ings  had  been  thrown  overboard,  and  there  was  no 
way  of  confining  the  captives  in  the  hold.  A  careful 
search  for  handcuffs  resulted  only  in  failure.  But 
Rodgers  was  a  man  of  decision,  and  Porter,  though 
but  a  boy,  was  bold  and  determined;  and  between  them 
they  solved  the  problem.  The  prisoners  were  ordered 
below;  and  a  sentinel  was  placed  at  each  hatchway, 
with  orders  to  shoot  the  first  man  who  should  attempt 
to  come  on  deck.  Howitzers  loaded  with  grape  were 
trained  upon  the  hatchway,  for  use  in  case  of  an  organ 
ized  movement  of  the  prisoners.  For  three  days  the 
officers  sustained  this  fearful  strain,  without  a  mo 
ment's  sleep;  but  their  labors  were  finally  crowned 
by  successfully  bringing  the  ship  and  prisoners  into 
St.  Kitts. 

In  the  second  pitched  battle  of  the  war,  the  "  Con 
stellation  "  was  again  the  American  combatant;  but  this 
time,  though  the  fight  was  a  glorious  one,  it  did  not 
terminate  so  fortunately  for  the  American  ship.  It 
was  on  the  ist  of  February,  1800,  that  the  gallant 
frigate,  under  the  same  commander,  was  cruising  about 
her  old  hunting-grounds,  near  Guadaloupe.  A  sail 
was  sighted,  which,  after  a  careful  examination  through 
his  marine-glass,  Commodore  Truxton  pronounced  to 
be  an  English  merchantman.  As  an  invitation  to  the 
stranger  to  approach,  English  colors  were  hoisted  on 
the  "  Constellation,"  but  had  only  the  effect  of  causing 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        121 

the  stranger  to  sheer  off;  for  she  was,  indeed,  a  French 
war-vessel.  Perplexed  by  the  actions  of  the  mysterious 
ship,  the  "  Constellation  "  gave  chase,  and  soon  came 
near  enough  to  see  that  she  had  caught  a  Tartar;  for 
the  vessel  was  the  French  frigate  "  La  Vengeance," 
mounting  fifty-two  guns.  Although  a  more  powerful 
vessel  than  the  American,  she  continued  her  flight; 
while  the  gallant  Truxton,  caring  nothing  for  the  odds 
against  him,  kept  on  in  hot  pursuit.  All  the  remainder 
of  that  day,  and  until  noon  of  the  next,  the  chase 
continued,  with  but  little  change  in  the  position  of  the 
ships.  "  A  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase,"  thought  the 
jackies  on  the  "  Constellation  ";  but  they  were  not  dis 
couraged,  and  only  crowded  on  the  more  sail.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  second  day,  the  American  began  to 
gain  rapidly;  and  by  eight  at  night  the  two  ships  were 
within  speaking  distance  of  each  other.  Truxton 
mounted  the  rail,  and  shouted  through  a  speaking-trum 
pet,  "What  ship  is  that?"  The  only  answer  was  a 
shot  from  the  stern-port  of  the  Frenchman,  and  the 
fight  was  opened. 

It  was  then  growing  dark,  though  the  faint  glow 
of  the  long  tropic  twilight  still  lingered  on  the  western 
horizon.  Above  the  towering  masts  of  the  two  great 
frigates,  the  stars  gleamed  with  a  brilliancy  seldom 
seen  in  more  northern  latitudes.  As  the  ships  rushed 
through  the  water,  the  waves  broke  against  the  bows, 
and  fell  back  in  masses  of  phosphorescent  light;  while 
the  wakes  of  the  vessels  could  be  traced  far  back  into 
the  darkness, — two  parallel  paths  of  light,  that  glowed 
and  sparkled  like  the  milky  way  that  spanned  the  starry 
sky  above. 

Side  by  side  the  two  frigates  ploughed  through  the 
water.  The  creaking  of  their  cordage,  and  the  rush 
ing  of  the  wind  through  the  rigging,  mingled  with  the 
thunder  of  the  cannonade,  which,  though  slow,  and 


122  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

made  up  of  single  reports,  when  the  "  Constellation  " 
was  confined  to  the  use  of  her  bow-chasers,  soon  rose 
to  thunderous  broadsides  as  the  two  ships  came  side  to 
side.  As  the  twilight  died  away,  the  two  contestants 
were  enveloped  in  almost  total  darkness,  save  for  the 
fitful  flashes  of  the  cannon,  and  the  red  glare  of  the 
battle-lanterns  that  hung  from  the  shrouds.  The  gun 
ners  had  for  a  target  nothing  but  a  black,  shapeless 
mass,  that  could  be  seen  rushing  through  the  waves 
some  hundreds  of  yards  away.  But  this  did  not  pre 
vent  fearful  execution  being  done  on  both  sides.  For 
five  hours  the  two  ships  kept  up  the  running  fight.  The 
ponderous  eighteen  and  forty-two-pound  shot  of  the 
enemy  crashed  into  the  "  Constellation,"  or  swept  her 
decks,  doing  dreadful  damage.  The  deck  was  strewn 
with  dead  and  dying  men,  and  the  surgeons  down  in 
the  cockpit  soon  had  their  tables  full  of  moaning  suf 
ferers.  No  one  could  tell  what  might  be  the  condition 
of  "  La  Vengeance  " ;  but  her  regular  fire  told  that  she 
was  in  no  wise  disabled.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  sound  of  her  guns  seemed  to  be  more  distant; 
and  by  the  flash  of  the  cannon  it  was  seen  that  she  was 
drawing  out  of  the  fight.  The  Americans  cheered 
lustily,  and  Truxton  ordered  that  his  ship  be  braced 
up  in  chase. 

But  the  fire  of  the  enemy  had  been  rapid  and  well- 
directed;  and  now,  at  this  critical  moment,  its  results 
were  to  rob  the  "  Constellation  "  of  her  victory.  As 
the  ships  were  brought  about,  to  follow  in  the  track 
of  the  flying  "  Vengeance,"  an  officer  came  rushing  to 
the  quarter-deck,  and  reported  that  all  the  shrouds  and 
braces  of  the  foremast  had  been  shot  away,  and  the 
mast  was  in  momentary  danger  of  falling.  The  rig 
ging  had  been  so  literally  cut  in  pieces  by  the  fire  of 
the  enemy,  that  splicing  was  out  of  the  question;  but 
Truxton,  in  the  hope  of  saving  his  mast,  called  all 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        123 

hands  from  the  guns,  and  the  fire  of  the  "  Constella 
tion  "  stopped. 

Up  in  the  foretop  was  stationed  Midshipman  Jarvis, 
with  a  dozen  or  more  of  jackies,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
mend  the  cordage  of  the  topmast,  and  to  keep  up  a 
musketry  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Long  before  the  officer 
of  the  deck  had  reported  the  danger  of  the  foremast, 
one  of  the  topmen  had  told  Jarvis,  who  was  but  a  lad, 
that  the  mast  was  likely  to  fall. 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  lad,"  responded  the  plucky  young 
officer;  "but  our  place  is  here,  and  we  must  go  with 
it." 

The  sailors  on  the  deck  below  worked  manfully :  but, 
notwithstanding  all  their  efforts,  the  mast  soon  went 
by  the  board;  and  Jarvis  and  his  brave  comrades  were 
thrown  far  out  into  the  black  water,  never  to  be  seen 
again. 

The  fall  of  the  foremast  ended  the  battle  for  the 
*'  Constellation."  Helpless,  and  cumbered  by  the 
wreck,  she  tossed  about  on  the  water,  while  her  foe 
made  good  her  escape.  What  might  have  been  the 
outcome  of  the  conflict,  had  it  continued,  it  is  impossible 
to  tell.  "  La  Vengeance  "  carried  heavier  metal  and 
a  larger  crew  than  the  American  frigate;  and  Truxton, 
with  all  his  dash,  found  no  mean  adversary  in  Captain 
Pitot.  Yet  the  condition  of  the  French  ship  when  she 
came  into  port  at  Curagoa  showed  that  the  fire  of  the 
Yankee  gunners  had  been  rapid  and  accurate.  Fifty 
of  the  enemy  were  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  ten 
wounded;  while,  of  the  Americans,  only  thirty-nine  ap 
peared  on  the  lists  of  killed  and  wounded.  It  was 
said  at  the  time  that  Captain  Pitot  reported  having 
struck  his  flag  three  times ;  hoisting  it  again,  on  finding 
that  in  the  darkness  the  "  Constellation "  took  no 
notice  of  the  surrender.  But  this  seems,  on  the  face 
of  it,  improbable ;  and  the  action  can  hardly  be  awarded 


124  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

to  either  ship,  although  the  gallantry  shown  on  either 
side  was  enough  to  win  a  victory. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  this  brilliant  action, 
together  with  the  capture  of  "  L'Insurgente,"  made  the 
"  Constellation  "  the  most  popular  ship  of  the  navy;  a 
place  which  she  held  until  the  stirring  events  of  the 
war  with  England  pushed  the  "  Constitution  "  so  far 
to  the  front,  that  even  now,  when  she  lies  dismantled 
and  rotting  at  the  Brooklyn  navy-yard,  Americans  still 
think  of  "  Old  Ironsides  "  as  the  typical  ship  of  our 
once  glorious  navy. 

Such  were  the  striking  incidents  of  a  war  that  was 
not  a  war.  In  these  modern  days  such  a  conflict  would 
be  impossible.  Not  merely  the  law  of  nations,  but 
the  conscience  of  nations  would  prevent  its  repetition. 
Even  more  than  that,  the  change  in  naval  armament 
in  the  size,  power,  and  cost  of  ships  has  changed  the 
whole  trend  of  naval  tactics.  The  quasi-war  with  the 
French  is  a  chapter  in  history  that  can  never  be  re 
peated. 


CHAPTER  IX 

War  of  1812 — British  Pressgang  Methods — The  "  Chesapeake  "  and 
"  Leopard  "—The  "  President "  and  "  Little  Belt  "—Disparity 
of  the  Two  Navies — "  Constitution  "  and  "  Guerriere." 

PERHAPS  the  greatest  advantage  that  came  to  the 
young  American  nation  from  the  half-way  war  with 
France  lay  in  the  fact  that  it  brought  the  American 
warships  out  of  retirement,  gave  their  officers  and  crews 
practice  in  actual  warfare,  and  fitted  them  for  the  more 
serious  conflict  with  Great  Britain  which  soon  became 
inevitable.  The  struggle,  of  which  we  are  about  to 
tell  the  story,  grew  out  of  the  insistence  of  the  British 
upon  the  right  (as  they  called  it)  of  impressing  Amer 
ican  seamen.  Curiously  enough,  although  the  war 
ended  with  all  the  honors  of  the  ocean  won  by  the 
blue-jackets  of  the  Union,  the  treaty  finally  signed  made 
no  mention  of  the  prime  issue  on  which  the  conflict  was 
waged.  But  it  is  a  matter  of  history  that  wars  seldom 
settle  the  actual  quarrel;  often  create  new  and  equally 
puzzling  problems.  The  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Spain,  for  example,  left  this  nation  in  pos 
session  of  the  Philippines — a  territory  practically  un 
known  to  our  people  before  Dewey's  victory.  The 
War  of  1812  did  not  settle  the  question  of  impress 
ment,  except  in  so  far  as  it  demonstrated  the  ability 
of  the  young  nation  to  defend  its  sailors'  rights. 

Let  us  recount  some  instances  of  the  methods  em 
ployed  by  the  British  navy  at  that  time  which  finally 
stung  Americans  into  retaliation : 

In  1807  the  United  States  frigate  "Chesapeake," 
then  lying  at  the  navy-yard  at  Washington,  was  put 
in  commission,  and  ordered  to  the  Mediterranean,  to 

125 


126  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

relieve  the  "  Constitution."  Nearly  a  month  was  con 
sumed  in  making  necessary  repairs  to  hull  and  cordage, 
taking  in  stores,  shipping  a  crew,  and  attending  to  the 
thousand  and  one  details  of  preparation  for  sea  that 
a  long  time  out  of  commission  makes  necessary  to  a 
man-of-war.  While  the  preparations  for  service  were 
actively  proceeding,  the  British  minister  informed  the 
naval  authorities  that  three  deserters  from  His  British 
Majesty's  ship  u  Melampus  "  had  joined  the  crew  of 
the  "  Chesapeake ";  and  it  was  requested  that  they 
should  be  given  up.  The  request  was  made  with  due 
courtesy;  and,  although  there  is  no  principle  of  inter 
national  law  which  directs  the  surrender  of  deserters, 
yet  the  United  States,  as  a  friendly  nation,  was  inclined 
to  grant  the  request,  and  an  inquiry  was  made  into  the 
case.  The  facts  elicited  put  the  surrender  of  the  men 
out  of  the  question;  for  though  they  frankly  confessed 
to  have  deserted  from  the  "  Melampus,"  yet  they 
claimed  to  have  been  impressed  into  the  British  service, 
and  proved  conclusively  that  they  were  free  Americans. 
This  was  reported  to  the  British  minister;  and,  as  he 
made  no  further  protests,  it  was  assumed  that  he  was 
satisfied. 

Some  weeks  later  the  vessel  left  the  navy-yard,  and 
dropped  down  the  river  to  Hampton  Roads.  Even 
with  the  long  period  occupied  in  preparation  for  sea, 
the  armament  of  the  ship  was  far  from  being  in  order; 
a  fact  first  discovered  as  she  passed  Mount  Vernon,  as 
she  was  unable  to  fire  the  salute  with  which  at  that 
time  all  passing  war-vessels  did  honor  to  the  tomb  of 
Washington.  After  some  days'  stay  at  Hampton 
Roads,  during  which  time  additional  guns  and  stores 
were  taken  on,  and  the  crew  increased  to  three  hundred 
and  seventy-five  men,  the  ship  got  under  way,  and 
started  on  her  voyage. 

It  was  on  a  breezy  morning  of  June  that  the  "  Chesa- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        127 

peake  "  left  the  broad  harbor  of  Hampton  Roads,  the 
scene  of  so  many  of  our  naval  glories.  From  the 
masthead  of  the  frigate  floated  the  broad  pennant  of 
Commodore  Barren,  who  went  out  in  command  of  the 
ship.  The  decks  were  littered  with  ropes,  lumber,  and 
stores,  which  had  arrived  too  late  to  be  properly  stowed 
away.  Some  confusion  is  but  natural  on  a  ship  start 
ing  on  a  cruise  which  may  continue  for  years,  but  the 
condition  of  the  u  Chesapeake  "  was  beyond  all  excuse; 
a  fact  for  which  the  fitting-out  officers,  not  her  com 
mander,  were  responsible. 

As  the  American  ship  passed  out  into  the  open  ocean, 
there  was  a  great  stir  on  the  decks  of  four  English 
cruisers  that  lay  quietly  at  anchor  in  Lynn  Haven  Bay; 
and  almost  immediately  one  of  these  vessels  hoisted  her 
anchor,  set  her  sails,  and  started  out  in  the  track  of 
the  frigate.  A  stiff  head-wind  blowing,  the  American 
was  forced  to  tack  frequently,  in  order  to  get  ahead; 
and  her  officers  noticed  that  the  British  ship  (the  "  Leop 
ard,  "  of  fifty  guns)  tacked  at  the  same  time,  and 
was  evidently  following  doggedly  in  the  wake  of  the 
"  Chesapeake."  No  suspicion  that  the  pursuer  had 
other  than  peaceful  motives  in  view  entered  the  minds 
of  the  American  officers;  and  the  ship  kept  on  her 
course,  while  the  sailors  set  about  putting  the  decks  in 
order,  and  getting  the  vessel  in  trim  for  her  long  voy 
age.  While  all  hands  were  thus  busily  engaged,  the 
"  Leopard  "  bore  down  rapidly,  and  soon  hailed,  say 
ing  that  she  had  a  despatch  for  Commodore  Barren. 
The  "  Chesapeake  "  accordingly  hove  to,  and  waited 
for  a  boat  to  be  sent  aboard. 

The  two  ships  now  lay  broadside  to  broadside,  and 
only  about  a  half  pistol-shot  apart.  No  idea  that  the 
Englishman  had  any  hostile  designs  seems  to  have  oc 
curred  to  Commodore  Barren ;  but  some  of  the  younger 
officers  noticed  that  the  ports  of  the  "  Leopard  "  were 


128  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

triced  up,  and  the  tompions  taken  out  of  the  muzzles 
of  the  cannon.  The  latter  fact  was  of  the  gravest 
import,  and  should  have  been  reported  at  once  to  the 
commander;  but  it  appears  that  this  was  not  done. 

In  a  few  moments  a  boat  put  off  from  the  "  Leop 
ard,"  and  pulled  to  the  American  ship,  where  an 
officer  stood  waiting  at  the  gangway,  and  conducted  the 
visitor  to  Barren's  cabin.  Here  the  English  lieutenant 
produced  an  order,  signed  by  the  British  Admiral 
Berkeley,  commanding  all  British  ships  to  watch  for 
the  "  Chesapeake,"  and  search  her  for  deserters.  Com 
modore  Barron  immediately  responded,  that  the 
"  Chesapeake  "  harbored  no  deserters,  and  he  could  not 
permit  his  crew  to  be  mustered  by  the  officer  of  any 
foreign  power.  Hardly  had  this  response  been  made, 
when  a  signal  from  the  "  Leopard  "  recalled  the  board 
ing  officer  to  his  ship. 

The  officers  of  the  "  Chesapeake  "  were  now  fully 
aroused  to  the  dangers  of  the  situation,  and  began  the 
attempt  to  get  the  ship  in  readiness  for  action.  Com 
modore  Barron,  coming  out  of  his  cabin  for  the  first 
time,  was  forcibly  struck  by  the  air  of  preparation  for 
action  presented  by  the  "  Leopard."  Captain  Gordon, 
the  second  in  command,  was  ordered  to  hasten  the 
work  on  the  gun-deck,  and  call  the  crew  to  quarters. 
The  drummers  began  to  beat  the  call  to  quarters,  but 
hasty  orders  soon  stopped  them;  and  the  men  went 
to  their  places  quietly,  hoping  that  the  threatening 
attitude  of  the  u  Leopard  "  was  mere  bravado. 

The  most  painful  suspense  was  felt  by  all  on  board 
the  American  ship.  The  attitude  of  the  "  Leopard  " 
left  little  doubt  of  her  hostile  intentions,  while  a  glance 
about  the  decks  of  the  "  Chesapeake  "  told  how  little 
fitted  she  was  to  enter  into  action.  Her  crew  was  a 
new  one,  never  exercised  at  the  guns,  and  had  been 
mustered  to  quarters  only  three  times.  On  the  gun- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        129 

deck  lay  great  piles  of  cumbrous  cables,  from  the  coiling 
of  which  the  men  had  been  summoned  by  the  call  to 
quarters.  On  the  after-deck  were  piles  of  furniture, 
trunks,  and  some  temporary  pantries.  What  little  sem 
blance  of  order  there  was,  was  due  to  the  efforts  of 
one  of  the  lieutenants,  who,  suspecting  trouble  when 
the  "  Leopard  "  first  came  up,  had  made  great  exertions 
toward  getting  the  ship  clear.  While  the  captain  stood 
looking  ruefully  at  the  confusion,  still  more  serious 
troubles  were  reported.  The  guns  were  loaded;  but 
no  rammers,  powder-flasks,  matches,  wads,  or  gun-locks 
could  be  found.  While  search  was  being  made  for 
these  necessary  articles,  a  hail  came  from  the  "  Leop 
ard."  Commodore  Barren  shouted  back  that  he  did 
not  understand. 

"  Commodore  Barren  must  be  aware  that  the  orders 
of  the  vice-admiral  must  be  obeyed,"  came  the  hail 
again. 

Barron  again  responded  that  he  did  not  understand. 
After  one  or  two  repetitions,  the  British  determined 
to  waste  no  more  time  in  talking;  and  a  single  shot 
fired  from  the  bow  of  the  "  Leopard  "  was  quickly  fol 
lowed  by  a  full  broadside.  The  heavy  shot  crashed 
into  the  sides  of  the  "  Chesapeake,"  wounding  many 
of  the  men,  and  adding  to  the  confusion  on  the  gun- 
deck.  No  answer  came  from  the  American  frigate; 
for,  though  the  guns  were  loaded,  there  was  no  way 
of  firing  them.  Matches,  locks,  or  loggerheads  were 
nowhere  to  be  found.  Mad  with  rage  at  the  helpless 
condition  in  which  they  found  themselves,  the  officers 
made  every  effort  to  fire  at  least  one  volley.  Pokers 
were  heated  red-hot  in  the  galley-fire,  and  carried  hastily 
to  the  guns,  but  cooled  too  rapidly  in  the  rush  across 
the  deck.  In  the  meantime,  the  "  Leopard,"  none  too 
chivalric  to  take  advantage  of  an  unresisting  foe,  had 
chosen  her  position,  and  was  pouring  in  a  deliberate 


i3o  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

fire.  For  nearly  eighteen  minutes  the  fire  was  con 
tinued,  when  the  flag  of  the  "  Chesapeake  "  was  hauled 
down.  Just  as  it  came  fluttering  from  the  masthead, 
Lieutenant  Allen,  crying,  "  I'll  have  one  shot  at  those 
rascals,  anyhow/'  ran  to  the  galley,  picked  up  a  live 
coal  in  his  fingers,  and  carried  it,  regardless  of  the 
pain,  to  the  nearest  gun,  which  was  successfully  dis 
charged.  This  was  the  only  shot  that  the  "  Chesa 
peake  "  fired  during  the  affair, — battle  it  cannot  be 
called. 

A  boat  with  two  British  lieutenants  and  several  mid 
shipmen  on  board  speedily  boarded  the  "  Chesapeake," 
and  the  demand  for  the  deserters  was  renewed.  Four 
seamen  were  seized,  and  borne  away  in  triumph;  but 
the  British  commander  refused  to  receive  the  ship  as 
a  prize,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  express  his  regret 
at  the  loss  of  life,  and  proffer  his  aid  in  repairing  the 
damages.  Both  sympathy  and  assistance  were  indig 
nantly  rejected;  and  the  disgraced  ship  went  sullenly 
back  to  Norfolk,  bearing  a  sorely  mortified  body  of 
officers  and  seamen.  Of  the  four  kidnapped  sailors, 
it  may  be  stated  here,  that  one  was  hanged,  and  the 
other  three  forced  to  enter  the  British  service,  in  which 
one  died.  His  comrades,  five  years  later,  were  restored 
to  the  deck  of  the  ship  from  which  they  had  been 
taken. 

The  news  of  this  event  spread  like  wildfire  over  the 
country,  and  caused  rage  and  resentment  wherever  it 
was  known.  Cities,  towns,  and  villages  called  for 
revenge.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation,  com 
plaining  of  the  habitual  insolence  of  British  cruisers, 
and  ordering  all  such  vessels  to  leave  American  waters 
forthwith.  As  in  the  reduced  state  of  the  navy  it 
was  impossible  to  enforce  this  order,  he  forbade  all 
citizens  of  the  United  States  to  give  aid  to,  or  have 
any  intercourse  with,  any  such  vessels  or  their  crews. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        131 

War  measures  were  taken  both  by  the  Federal  and 
State  Governments.  As  usual,  the  popular  wrath  was 
vented  upon  the  least  culpable  of  the  people  responsible 
for  the  condition  of  the  "  Chesapeake."  Commodore 
Barron  was  tried  by  court-martial,  and  sentenced  to  five 
years'  suspension  from  the  service,  without  pay.  The 
cool  judgment  of  later  years  perceives  the  unjust- 
ness  of  this  sentence,  but  its  execution  cast  a  deep 
shadow  over  the  remainder  of  the  unhappy  officer's 
life. 

Three  years  passed  before  the  first  opportunity  for 
effective  retaliation  presented  itself. 

On  May  7,  1811,  the  United  States  frigate  "  Presi 
dent  "  was  lying  quietly  at  anchor  off  Fort  Severn, 
Annapolis.  Everything  betokened  a  state  of  perfect 
peace.  The  muzzles  of  the  great  guns  were  stopped 
by  tompions.  The  ports  were  down.  In  the  rigging 
of  the  vessel  hung  garments  drying  in  the  sun.  At 
the  side  floated  half  a  dozen  boats.  Many  of  the 
crew  were  ashore  on  leave.  The  sailing-master  was  at 
Baltimore,  and  the  chaplain  and  purser  were  at  Wash 
ington.  From  the  masthead  floated  the  broad  pennant 
of  Commodore  Rodgers,  but  he  was  with  his  family 
at  Havre  de  Grace;  and  the  executive  officer,  Captain 
Ludlow,  was  dining  on  the  sloop-of-war  u  Argus,"  lying 
near  at  hand.  But  the  captain's  dinner  was  destined 
to  be  interrupted  that  bright  May  afternoon;  for  in 
the  midst  of  the  repast  a  midshipman  entered,  and  re 
ported  that  the  commodore's  gig  was  coming  up  rapidly, 
with  Rodgers  himself  on  board.  The  dinner  party 
was  hastily  broken  up,  and  the  captain  returned  to  his 
ship  to  receive  his  superior  officer.  On  his  arrival, 
Commodore  Rodgers  said  that  he  had  received  orders 
to  chase  a  frigate  that  had  impressed  a  sailor  from  the 
"  Spitfire,"  and  insist  upon  the  man's  being  liberated, 
if  he  could  prove  his  citizenship.  This  was  good  news 


132  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

for  every  man  on  the  frigate.  At  last,  then,  the  United 
States  was  going  to  protect  its  sailors. 

Three  days  were  spent  in  getting  the  crew  together 
and  preparing  for  sea;  then  the  stately  frigate,  with 
all  sails  set  and  colors  flying,  weighed  anchor,  and 
stood  down  the  Chesapeake  with  the  intention  of  cruis 
ing  near  New  York.  She  had  been  out  on  the  open 
ocean  only  a  day,  when  the  lookout,  from  his  perch 
in  the  crosstrees,  reported  a  strange  sail  on  the  horizon. 
The  two  vessels  approached  each  other  rapidly;  and, 
as  the  stranger  drew  near,  Rodgers  saw,  by  the  square 
ness  of  her  yards  and  the  general  trim,  symmetrical  cut 
of  her  sails,  that  she  was  a  war-vessel. 

A  little  after  eight  in  the  evening  the  "  President " 
was  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  chase,  which  could 
be  seen,  a  dark  mass  with  bright  lights  shining  through 
the  rows  of  open  ports,  rushing  through  the  water 
directly  ahead.  Rodgers  sprang  upon  the  taffrail,  and 
putting  a  speaking-trumpet  to  his  lips,  shouted,  "  What 
ship  is  that  ?  "  A  dead  silence  followed.  Those  on 
the  "President"  listened  intently  for  the  answer;  but 
no  sound  was  heard  save  the  sigh  of  the  wind  through 
the  cordage,  the  creaking  of  the  spars,  and  the  rush 
of  the  water  alongside.  Rodgers  hailed  again;  and, 
before  the  sound  of  his  words  had  died  away,  a  quick 
flash  of  fire  leaped  from  the  stern-ports  of  the  chase, 
and  a  shot  whizzed  through  the  rigging  of  the  "  Presi 
dent,"  doing  some  slight  damage.  Rodgers  sprang  to 
the  deck  to  order  a  shot  in  return;  but,  before  he  could 
do  so,  a  too  eager  gunner  pulled  the  lanyard  of  his 
piece  in  the  second  division  of  the  "  President's  "  bat 
tery.  The  enemy  promptly  answered  with  three  guns, 
and  then  let  fly  a  whole  broadside,  with  discharges  of 
musketry  from  the  deck  and  the  tops.  This  exhausted 
Rodgers's  patience.  "  Equally  determined,"  said  he 
afterwards,  "  not  to  be  the  aggressor,  or  to  suffer 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        133 

the  flag  of  my  country  to  be  insulted  with  impunity, 
I  gave  a  general  order  to  fire."  This  time  there  was 
no  defect  in  the  ordnance  or  the  gunnery  of  the  Amer 
ican  ship.  The  broadsides  rang  out  at  regular  inter 
vals,  and  the  aim  of  the  gunners  was  deliberate  and 
deadly.  It  was  too  dark  to  see  what  effect  the  fire 
was  having  on  the  enemy,  but  in  five  minutes  her  re 
sponses  began  to  come  slowly  and  feebly.  Unwilling 
to  continue  his  attack  on  a  ship  evidently  much  his  in 
ferior  in  size  and  armament,  Rodgers  ordered  the  gun 
ners  to  cease  firing;  but  this  had  hardly  been  done  when 
the  stranger  opened  again.  A  second  time  the  guns 
of  the  "  President  "  were  run  out,  and  again  they  be 
gan  their  cannonade.  The  stranger  was  soon  silenced 
again;  and  Commodore  Rodgers  hailed,  that  he  might 
learn  the  name  of  his  adversary.  In  answer  came  a 
voice  from  the  other  vessel: 

14  We  are  his  Majesty's  ship "  A  gust  of  wind 

carried  away  the  name,  and  Rodgers  was  still  in  doubt 
as  to  whom  he  had  been  fighting.  Hoisting  a  number 
of  bright  lights  in  her  rigging,  that  the  stranger  might 
know  her  whereabouts,  the  "  President "  stood  off  and 
on  during  the  night,  ready  to  give  aid  to  the  disabled 
ship  in  case  of  need. 

At  early  dawn  every  officer  was  on  deck,  anxious  to 
learn  the  fate  of  their  foe  of  the  night  before.  Far 
in  the  distance  they  could  see  a  ship,  whose^  broken 
cordage  and  evident  disorder  showed  her  to  have  been 
the  other  party  to  the  fight.  A  boat  from  the  "  Presi 
dent  "  visited  the  stranger,  to  learn  her  name  and  to 
proffer  aid  in  repairing  the  damages  received  in  the 
action.  The  ship  proved  to  be  the  British  sloop-of- 
war  "Little  Belt";  and  her  captain  stated  that  she 
was  much  damaged  in  her  masts,  sails,  rigging,  and 
hull,  and  had  been  cut  several  times  between  wind  and 
water.  He  declined  the  proffered  aid,  however,  and 


i34  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

sailed  away  to  Halifax,  the  nearest  British  naval  sta 
tion.  Commodore  Rodgers  took  the  "  President "  to 
the  nearest  American  port. 

Another  incident  showed  that  the  hatred  of  the  Brit 
ish  service  that  prevailed  among  seamen  was  a  matter 
of  deep-seated  conviction.  While  the  United  States 
ship  "  Essex  "  was  lying  in  an  English  port,  it  became 
known  that  one  of  her  crew  was  a  deserter  from  the 
British  navy,  and  his  surrender  was  immediately  de 
manded.  Although  the  man  stoutly  protested  that  he 
was  an  American,  yet  no  proof  could  be  shown;  and, 
as  the  ship  was  in  British  waters,  it  was  determined 
to  surrender  him.  A  British  officer  and  squad  of  ma 
rines  boarded  the  "  Essex "  and  waited  on  the  deck 
while  the  sailor  went  below  to  get  his  kit.  Bitterly 
complaining  of  the  hardness  of  his  fate,  the  poor  fellow 
went  along  the  gun-decks  until  he  passed  the  carpenter's 
bench.  His  eye  fell  upon  an  axe;  and  after  a  minute's 
hesitation  he  stepped  to  the  bench,  seized  the  axe  in 
his  right  hand,  and  with  one  blow  cut  off  the  left. 
Carrying  the  severed  member  in  his  hand,  he  again 
sought  the  deck  and  presented  himself,  maimed,  bleed 
ing,  and  forever  useless  as  a  sailor,  to  the  British  officer. 
Astonished  and  horrified,  that  worthy  left  the  ship,  and 
the  wounded  man  was  sent  to  the  sick-bay.  The  in 
cident  was  a  forcible  commentary  on  the  state  of  the 
British  service  at  that  time,  and  left  a  deep  impression 
on  the  minds  of  all  beholders. 

In  the  next  contest  over  deserters,  however,  the  Amer 
icans  rather  secured  the  best  of  the  argument.  The 
"  Constitution  "  was  lying  at  anchor  in  Portsmouth 
roads,  when  one  of  the  crew  slily  slipped  overboard 
and  swam  down  with  the  tide  to  the  British  ship 
"  Madagascar  "  that  lay  at  anchor  near  by.  When 
he  had  reached  the  Englishman,  he  was  too  exhausted 
to  speak;  and  the  officers,  supposing  that  he  had  fallen 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        135 

overboard  accidentally,  sent  word  to  the  "  Constitu 
tion  "  that  her  man  had  been  saved,  and  awaited  the 
orders  of  his  commander.  The  next  morning  a  boat 
was  sent  down  to  the  u  Madagascar "  to  fetch  the 
man  back;  but,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  visiting  offi 
cer,  he  was  told  that  the  sailor  claimed  to  be  a  British 
subject  and  wished  to  escape  from  the  American  service. 

"  Have  you  any  evidence/'  asked  the  American  offi 
cer  of  the  British  admiral,  "  beyond  the  man's  own 
word,  that  he  is  an  Englishman?" 

"  None  whatever,  sir,"  was  the  response,  "  but  we 
are  obliged  to  take  his  declaration  to  that  effect." 

The  American  officer  returned  to  his  ship,  vowing 
vengeance  on  the  harborers  of  the  deserter.  His  op 
portunity  came  that  very  night. 

In  the  dead  watches  of  the  night,  when  all  was  still 
on  deck  save  the  monotonous  tramp  of  the  sentries,  there 
suddenly  rang  out  on  the  still  air  the  sharp  crack  of 
a  musket.  The  officer  of  the  deck  rushed  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  and  was  shown  a  dark  object  floating 
near  the  ship,  at  which  a  sentry  had  fired.  A  boat 
was  lowered  and  soon  came  back,  bringing  in  it  a  sailor 
who  had  deserted  from  the  "  Madagascar,"  and 
reached  the  "  Constitution  "  by  swimming.  Captain 
Hull  asked  the  fellow  his  nationality. 

"  Sure,  Oi'm  a  'Merricun,  your  honor,"  he  answered 
in  a  rich  brogue  that  would  have  branded  him  as  a 
Paddy  in  any  part  of  the  world.  With  a  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  Hull  sent  the  Irishman  below,  and  told  the 
sailors  to  take  good  care  of  him. 

Early  in  the  morning,  a  boat  came  from  the  "  Mada 
gascar";  and  a  trim  young  lieutenant,  clambering 
aboard  the  American  frigate,  politely  requested  that 
the  deserter  be  given  up.  With  great  dignity,  Captain 
Hull  responded  that  the  man  was  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  and  should  have  protection.  The  visit- 


i36  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

ing  officer  fairly  gasped  for  breath.  "  An  American !  " 
he  exclaimed.  "  Why,  the  man  has  never  been  out 
of  Ireland  except  on  a  British  man-of-war." 

"  Indeed !  "  responded  Hull  blandly.  "  But  we  have 
his  statement  that  he  is  an  American,  and  we  are  obliged 
to  take  his  declaration  to  that  effect."  And  the  man 
was  never  given  up. 

Such  occurrences  as  these  could  not  fail  to  bring  even 
friendly  nations  to  open  war — and  there  can  be  no  idea 
that  in  these  days  there  was  any  friendliness  between 
the  people  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  Yet 
neither  government  wished  for  war,  and  it  was  not 
until  actual  hostilities  had  long  lasted  that  the  fateful 
declaration  was  issued. 

Of  that  conflict  this  may  be  said :  On  land  the  United 
States  forces  won  no  glory  until  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans,  which,  curiously  enough,  was  fought  by  Gen 
eral  Andrew  Jackson  after  the  treaty  of  peace  had  been 
concluded.  On  the  ocean  our  ships  were  almost  uni 
formly  successful,  the  only  serious  disasters  being  the 
loss  of  the  "  Chesapeake  "  to  the  "  Shannon,"  and  the 
loss  of  the  "  Essex  "  off  Valparaiso  harbor.  For  both 
there  were  distinct  reasons,  in  nowise  discreditable  to 
the  American  commanders,  and  which  will  be  set  forth 
in  the  account  of  these  actions. 

So  far  as  ocean  operations  were  concerned  it  was  a 
war  of  individual  ships.  The  only  fleet  actions  were 
on  inland  waters.  It  will  be  the  simplest  way  of  tell 
ing  the  story  to  deal  with  the  salt  water  battles  first, 
taking  up  Perry  on  Lake  Erie,  and  McDonough  on 
Lake  Champlain  in  a  later  chapter.  Even  on  the  ocean 
it  appeared  at  first  that  the  war  was  to  be  characterized 
by  official  over-caution,  if  not,  indeed,  timidity.  Per 
haps  the  timidity  was  to  some  extent  justified.  At 
the  moment  the  naval  rolls  of  Great  Britain  bore  the 
names  of  over  one  thousand  ships.  Of  these  no  fewer 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        137 

than  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  were  ships  of  the  line, 
mounting  seventy-four  or  more  guns  each.  To  oppose 
this  force,  at  that  time  the  most  powerful  in  the  world, 
the  United  States  had  twenty  vessels  of  which  the 
largest  rated  forty- four,  and  the  majority  less  than 
thirty  guns.  It  is  small  wonder  that  the  national  gov 
ernment  was  appalled  at  the  odds,  and  at  first  deter 
mined  to  lay  the  ships  up  in  port,  using  them  as  float 
ing  batteries  for  the  defence  of  harbors  and  avoiding 
all  cruises.  It  is  to  the  eternal  credit  of  the  American 
navy  that  this  determination  on  the  part  of  President 
Madison  was  stoutly  opposed  by  all  commanding  offi 
cers.  Had  it  stood,  some  of  the  brightest  chapters 
in  American  naval  annals  would  have  remained  un 
written.  • 

The  first  notable  action  of  the  war  was  the  one  that 
made  the  name  of  the  gallant  frigate  "  Constitution  " 
a  household  word  in  the  United  States  for  a  century 
thereafter.  After  narrowly  escaping  capture  by  a  fleet 
of  five  hostile  vessels  the  "  Constitution  "  was  cruising 
along  the  New  England  coast  when  a  Salem  privateer 
was  overhauled,  the  captain  of  which  reported  an  Eng 
lish  frigate  cruising  in  the  neighborhood;  and  Captain 
Hull  straightway  set  out  to  discover  the  enemy. 

The  frigate  which  had  been  sighted  by  the  Salem 
privateer,  and  for  which  Hull  was  so  eagerly  seeking, 
was  the  "  Guerriere,"  a  thirty-eight-gun  ship  com 
manded  by  Captain  Dacres.  With  both  ship  and  cap 
tain,  Captain  Hull  had  previously  had  some  little  ex 
perience.  The  "  Guerriere  M  was  one  of  the  ships  in 
the  squadron  from  which  the  "  Constitution  "  had  so 
narrowly  escaped  a  few  weeks  before,  while  Captain 
Dacres  was  an  old  acquaintance.  A  story  current  at 
the  time  relates,  that,  before  the  war,  the  "  Guerriere  " 
and  the  "  Constitution  "  were  lying  in  the  Delaware; 
and  the  two  captains,  happening  to  meet  at  some-  en- 


i38  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

tertainment  on  shore,  fell  into  a  discussion  over  the 
merits  of  their  respective  navies.  Although  even  then 
the  cloud  of  war  was  rising  on  the  horizon,  each  was 
pleasant  and  good-natured;  and  the  discussion  assumed 
no  more  serious  form  than  lively  banter. 

"  Well,"  said  Hull  at  last,  "  you  may  just  take  good 
care  of  that  ship  of  yours,  if  ever  I  catch  her  in  the 
4  Constitution.7  " 

Captain  Dacres  laughed  good-humoredly,  and  offered 
to  bet  a  sum  of  money,  that  in  the  event  of  a  conflict 
his  confident  friend  would  find  himself  the  loser. 

"No,"  said  Hull,  "  I'll  bet  no  money  on  it;  but  I 
will  stake  you  a  hat,  that  the  '  Constitution  '  comes  out 
victorious." 

"  Done,"  responded  Dacres;  and  the  bet  was  made. 
War  was  soon  declared;  and,  as  it  happened,  the  two 
friends  were  pitted  against  each  other  early  in  the  hos 
tilities. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  American  frigate  parted 
from  the  privateer  when  the  long-drawn  hail  of  "  Sail 
ho-o-o !  "  from  the  lookout  aloft  announced  the  dis 
covery  of  another  vessel.  The  course  of  the  "  Constitu 
tion  "  was  at  once  shaped  toward  the  stranger.  In 
half  an  hour  she  was  made  out  to  be  a  frigate,  and  from 
her  actions  was  evidently  anxious  to  come  alongside 
the  American  ship.  As  more  than  an  hour  must  elapse 
before  the  ships  could  come  together,  Captain  Hull 
made  his  preparations  for  action  with  the  greatest  de 
liberation.  The  top-gallant  sails  were  furled,  and  the 
lighter  spars  lowered  to  the  deck.  Through  their 
glasses,  the  officers  could  see  the  enemy  making  simi 
lar  preparations,  and  waiting  deliberately  for  the 
"  Constitution  "  to  come  down. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  two  ships  were 
rapidly  nearing,  and  the  drums  on  the  American  frigate 
beat  to  quarters.  Then  followed  the  rush  of  bare- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        139 

footed  men  along  the  deck,  as  they  ran  hastily,  but 
in  perfect  order,  to  their  stations.  As  the  roll  of  the 
drums  died  away,  the  shrill  voices  of  the  boyish  mid 
shipmen  arose,  calling  off  the  quarter-bills,  and  an 
swered  by  the  gruff  responses  of  the  men  at  their  posts. 
Every  man,  from  the  cook  to  the  captain,  knew  his 
place,  and  hurried  to  it.  The  surgeon,  with  his  as 
sistants,  descended  to  the  cockpit.  The  carpenter 
and  his  mates  made  ready  their  felt-covered  plugs,  for 
stopping  holes  made  by  the  enemy's  shot.  The  top- 
men  clambered  to  their  posts  in  the  rigging,  led  by 
the  midshipmen  who  were  to  command  them.  The 
line  of  powder-passers  was  formed;  and  the  powder- 
monkeys  gave  up  skylarking,  and  began  to  look  sober 
at  the  thought  of  the  business  in  hand. 

The  "  Guerriere  "  was  not  behindhand  in  her  prepa 
rations  for  action.  Captain  Dacres  had  suspected  the 
character  of  the  American  vessel,  from  the  first  mo 
ment  she  had  been  sighted.  On  board  the  English 
frigate  was  Captain  William  B.  Orne,  a  Marblehead 
sailor  who  had  been  captured  by  the  "  Guerriere  "  some 
days  before.  "  Captain  Dacres  seemed  anxious  to  as 
certain  her  character,"  wrote  Captain  Orne,  shortly 
after  the  battle,  "  and  after  looking  at  her  for  that 
purpose,  handed  me  his  spy-glass,  requesting  me  to 
give  him  my  opinion  of  the  stranger.  I  soon  saw, 
from  the  peculiarity  of  her  sails  and  her  general  ap 
pearance,  that  she  was  without  doubt  an  American 
frigate,  and  communicated  the  same  to  Captain  Dacres. 
He  immediately  replied,  that  he  thought  she  came  down 
too  boldly  for  an  American;  but  soon  after  added, 
'  The  better  he  behaves,  the  more  credit  we  shall  gain 
by  taking  him.' 

"  The  two  ships  were  rapidly  approaching  each 
other,  when  the  '  Guerriere  '  backed  her  main  topsail, 
and  waited  for  her  opponent  to  come  down  and  com- 


1 40  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

mence  the  action.  He  then  set  an  English  flag  at 
each  masthead,  beat  to  quarters,  and  made  ready  for 
the  fight. 

"  When  the  strange  frigate  came  down  to  within 
two  or  three  miles  distant,  he  hauled  upon  the  wind, 
took  in  all  his  light  sails,  reefed  his  topsails,  and  de 
liberately  prepared  for  action.  It  was  now  about  five 
in  the  afternoon,  when  he  filled  away  and  ran  down 
for  the  '  Guerriere.'  At  this  moment  Captain  Dacres 
said  politely  to  me,  '  Captain  Orne,  as  I  suppose  you 
do  not  wish  to  fight  against  your  own  countrymen, 
you  are  at  liberty  to  retire  below  the  water-line.'  It 
was  not  long  after  this,  before  I  retired  from  the  quar 
ter-deck  to  the  cockpit."  It  may  be  well  here  to  sup 
plement  Captain  Orne's  narrative  by  the  statement  that 
Captain  Dacres,  with  a  chivalric  sense  of  justice  not 
common  in  the  British  navy  of  that  day,  allowed  ten 
American  sailors  who  had  been  impressed  into  his  crew 
to  leave  their  quarters  and  go  below,  that  they  might 
not  fight  against  their  country.  Though  an  enemy, 
he  was  both  gallant  and  generous. 

The  action  was  opened  by  the  "  Guerriere  "  with 
her  weather  broadside;  the  shot  of  which  all  falling 
short,  she  wore  around,  and  let  fly  her  port  broadside, 
sending  most  of  the  shot  through  her  enemy's  rigging, 
though  two  took  effect  in  the  hull.  In  response  to 
this,  the  "  Constitution  "  yawed  a  little,  and  fired  two 
or  three  of  her  bow-guns;  after  which  the  "  Guerriere  " 
again  opened  with  broadsides.  In  this  way  the  battle 
continued  for  about  an  hour;  the  American  ship  saving 
her  fire,  and  responding  to  the  heavy  broadsides  with 
an  occasional  shot. 

During  this  ineffectual  firing,  the  two  ships  were 
continually  drawing  nearer  together,  and  the  gunners 
on  the  "  Constitution  "  were  becoming  more  and  more 
restive  under  their  inaction.  Captain  Hull  was  pac- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        141 

ing  the  quarter-deck  with  short,  quick  steps,  trying 
to  look  cool,  but  inwardly  on  fire  with  excitement. 
As  the  shot  of  the  enemy  began  to  take  effect,  and 
the  impatience  of  the  gunners  grew  more  intense,  Lieu 
tenant  Morris,  the  second  in  command,  asked  leave  to 
respond  with  a  broadside. 

"  Not  yet,"  responded  Captain  Hull  with  cool  deci 
sion.  Some  minutes  later,  the  request  was  repeated, 
and  met  with  the  same  response,  while  the  captain 
never  ceased  his  pacing  of  the  deck.  When  within 
about  half  pistol-shot,  another  broadside  came  from 
the  "  Guerriere."  Then  the  smothered  excitement  in 
Hull's  breast  broke  out. 

"  Now,  boys,  pour  it  into  them !  "  he  shouted  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs,  gesticulating  with  such  violence  that 
the  tight  breeches  of  his  naval  uniform  split  clear  down 
the  side.  Lieutenant  Morris  seconded  the  captain  in 
cheering  on  the  crew. 

"  Hull  her,  boys!  Hull  her!  "  he  shouted;  and  the 
crew,  catching  up  the  cry,  made  the  decks  ring  with 
shouts  of  "Hull  her!"  as  they  rapidly  loaded  and 
let  fly  again. 

The  effect  of  their  first  broadside  was  terrific.  Deep 
down  in  the  cockpit  of  the  "  Guerriere,"  Captain  Orne, 
who  had  been  listening  to  the  muffled  thunder  of  the 
cannonade  at  long  range,  suddenly  "  heard  a  tremen 
dous  explosion  from  the  opposing  frigate.  The  effect 
of  her  shot  seemed  to  make  the  *  Guerriere  '  reel  and 
tremble,  as  though  she  had  received  the  shock  of  an 
earthquake.  Immediately  after  this,  I  heard  a  tre 
mendous  shock  on  deck,  and  was  told  that  the  mizzen- 
mast  was  shot  away.  In  a  few  moments  afterward, 
the  cockpit  was  filled  with  wounded  men." 

Though  in  his  retreat  in  the  cockpit  the  captive 
American  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  cannon,  and  see 
the  ghastly  effects  of  the  flying  missiles,  he  could  form 


142  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

but  a  small  idea  of  the  fury  of  the  conflict  which  was 
raging  over  his  head.  Stripped  to  the  waist,  and 
covered  with  the  stains  of  powder  and  of  blood,  the 
gunners  on  the  two  ships  pulled  fiercely  at  the  gun- 
tackle,  and  wielded  the  rammers  with  frantic  energy; 
then  let  fly  the  death-dealing  bolt  into  the  hull  of  an 
enemy  only  a  few  yards  distant.  The  ships  were 
broadside  to  broadside,  when  the  Englishman's  miz- 
zen-mast  was  shot  away,  and  fell,  throwing  the  top- 
men  far  out  into  the  sea.  The  force  of  the  great 
spar  falling  upon  the  deck  made  a  great  breach  in 
the  quarter  of  the  ship;  and,  while  the  sailors  were 
clearing  away  the  wreck,  the  "  Constitution "  drew 
slowly  ahead,  pouring  in  several  destructive  broadsides, 
and  then  luffed  slowly,  until  she  lay  right  athwart  the 
enemy's  bow.  While  in  this  position,  the  long  bow 
sprit  of  the  "  Guerriere  "  stretched  far  across  the  quar 
ter-deck  of  the  American  ship,  and  was  soon  fouled 
in  the  mizzen-rigging  of  the  latter  vessel.  Then  the 
two  ships  swung  helplessly  around,  so  that  the  bow  of 
the  Englishman  lay  snugly  against  the  port-quarter  of 
the  Yankee  craft.  Instantly,  from  the  deck  of  each 
ship  rang  out  the  short,  sharp  blare  of  the  bugle, 
calling  away  the  boarders,  who  sprang  from  their  guns, 
seized  their  heavy  boarding  caps  and  cutlasses,  and 
rushed  to  the  side.  But  a  heavy  sea  was  rolling  and 
tossing  the  two  frigates,  so  that  boarding  seemed  im 
possible;  and,  as  Dacres  saw  the  crowd  of  men  ready 
to  receive  his  boarders,  he  called  them  back  to  the 
guns.  Although  each  party  stuck  to  its  own  ship, 
the  fighting  was  almost  hand  to  hand.  Pistols  were 
freely  used;  and  from  the  tops  rained  down  a  ceaseless 
hail  of  leaden  missiles,  one  of  which  wounded  Captain 
Dacres  slightly.  So  near  to  each  other  were  the  com 
batants,  that  the  commands  and  the  cries  of  rage  and 
pain  could  be  heard  above  the  deep-toned  thunder  of 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        143 

the  great  guns  and  the  ceaseless  rattle  of  the  musketry. 
The  protruding  muzzles  of  the  guns  often  touched  the 
sides  of  the  opposing  ship;  and  when  the  cannon  were 
drawn  in  for  loading,  the  sailors  on  either  side  thrust 
muskets  and  pistols  through  the  ports,  and  tried  to 
pick  off  the  enemy  at  his  guns. 

While  the  fight  was  thus  raging,  a  cry  of  u  Fire!  " 
horrified  every  one  on  the  "  Constitution. "  Flames 
were  seen  coming  from  the  windows  of  the  cabin,  which 
lay  directly  beneath  the  bow-guns  of  the  "  Guerriere." 
The  fire  had  been  set  by  the  flash  from  the  enemy's 
cannon,  so  close  were  the  two  ships  together.  By 
the  strenuous  exertions  of  the  men  on  duty  in  the  cabin, 
the  flames  were  extinguished,  and  this,  the  greatest  of 
all  dangers,  averted.  Shortly  after,  the  gun  which 
had  caused  the  trouble  was  disabled  by  a  skilful  shot 
from  one  of  the  Yankee's  guns. 

While  the  flames  in  the  cabin  were  being  extin 
guished,  the  Americans  were  making  a  valiant  attempt 
to  board  and  Lieutenant  Morris  with  his  own  hands  was 
attempting  to  lash  the  two  ships  together.  Abandon 
ing  this  attempt,  he  leaped  upon  the  taffrail,  and  called 
upon  his  men  to  follow  him.  Lieutenant  Bush  of  the 
marines,  and  Mr.  Alwyn,  were  soon  at  the  side  of 
the  intrepid  officer,  when,  at  a  sudden  volley  of  mus 
ketry  from  the  British,  all  three  fell  back,  poor  Bush 
dead,  and  the  two  others  badly  wounded.  The  ships 
then  drifted  asunder;  and  the  "  Guerriere's  "  foremast 
was  shot  away,  and  dragged  down  the  mainmast  with 
it  in  its  fall.  The  shattered  ship  now  lay  a  shapeless 
hulk,  tossing  on  the  waves,  but  still  keeping  a  British 
ensign  defiantly  flying  from  the  stump  of  her  fallen 
mizzen-mast. 

The  "  Constitution  "  drew  away,  firing  continually, 
and  soon  secured  a  raking  position;  seeing  which,  the 
British  hauled  down  their  colors.  Lieutenant  Read 


i44  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

was  sent  on  board  the  prize,  and,  on  the  appearance 
of  Captain  Dacres,  said: 

"  Captain  Hull  presents  his  compliments,  sir,  and 
wishes  to  know  if  you  have  struck  your  flag." 

Dacres  looked  significantly  at  the  shattered  masts 
of  his  ship,  and  responded  drily: 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  Our  mizzen-mast  is  gone, 
our  main-mast  is  gone;  and  I  think,  on  the  whole, 
you  may  say  that  we  have  struck  our  flag." 

After  looking  about  the  ship,  the  boarding  officer 
stepped  to  the  side,  to  return  to  his  own  vessel.  Be 
fore  leaving,  he  said  to  Captain  Dacres: 

"  Would  you  like  the  assistance  of  a  surgeon,  or 
surgeon's  mate,  in  caring  for  your  wounded?" 

Dacres  looked  surprised,  and  responded: 

"  Well,  I  should  suppose  you  had  on  board  your 
own  ship  business  enough  for  all  your  medical  officers." 

"  Oh,  no !  "  answered  Read.  "  We  have  only  seven 
wounded,  and  they  have  been  dressed  long  ago." 

Dacres  was  astounded,  as  well  he  might  be;  for 
on  the  decks  of  his  ship  lay  twenty-three  dead  or  mor 
tally  wounded  men,  while  the  surgeons  were  doing  their 
best  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  fifty-six  wounded, 
among  whom  were  several  officers.  Indeed,  the  ship 
looked  like  a  charnel-house.  When  Captain  Orne, 
freed  by  the  result  of  the  battle,  came  on  deck,  he 
saw  a  sight  that  he  thus  describes :  "  At  about  half- 
past  seven  o'clock,  I  went  on  deck,  and  there  beheld 
a  scene  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe.  All 
the.  '  Guerriere's  '  masts  were  shot  away;  and,  as  she 
had  no  sails  to  steady  her,  she  was  rolling  like  a  log 
in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  Many  of  the  men  were  em 
ployed  in  throwing  the  dead  overboard.  The  decks 
were  covered  with  blood,  and  had  the  appearance  of 
a  ship's  slaughter-house.  The  gun-tackles  were  not 
made  fast;  and  several  of  the  guns  got  loose,  and  were 


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FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        145 

surging  from  one  side  to  the  other.  Some  of  the  petty 
officers  and  seamen  got  liquor,  and  were  intoxicated; 
and  what  with  the  groans  of  the  wounded,  the  noise 
and  confusion  of  the  enraged  survivors  on  board  of 
the  ill-fated  ship,  rendered  the  whole  scene  a  perfect 
hell." 

For  some  time  after  the  "  Guerriere  "  had  been  for 
mally  taken  possession  of,  it  seemed  as  though  the 
"  Constitution  "  would  have  to  fight  a  second  battle, 
to  keep  possession  of  her  prize.  A  strange  sail  was 
seen  upon  the  horizon,  bearing  down  upon  the  "  Con 
stitution  "  in  a  way  that  seemed  to  threaten  hostilities. 
Again  the  drums  beat  to  quarters,  and  once  again  the 
tired  crew  went  to  their  stations  at  the  guns.  But 
the  strange  ship  sheered  off,  and  the  gallant  crew  were 
not  forced  to  fight  a  second  battle.  All  hands  then 
set  to  work  to  remove  the  prisoners  from  the  "  Guer 
riere,"  which  was  evidently  in  a  sinking  condition. 

In  the  first  boat-load  from  the  sinking  ship  came 
Captain  Dacres,  who  was  politely  shown  into  Captain 
Hull's  cabin.  Unclasping  his  sword  from  its  place 
at  his  hip,  the  conquered  seaman  handed  it  silently 
to  Captain  Hull.  The  victor  put  it  gently  back,  say 
ing: 

"  No,  no,  captain :  I'll  not  take  a  sword  from  one 
who  knows  so  well  how  to  use  it.  But  I  will  trouble 
you  for  that  hat." 

For  a  moment  a  shade  of  perplexity  passed  over 
the  brow  of  the  British  captain;  then  he  recollected 
the  wager  of  a  year  or  two  before,  and  all  was  clear 
again.  Unfortunately,  the  veracious  chronicler  who 
has  handed  this  anecdote  down  to  modern  times  has 
failed  to  state  whether  the  debt  was  duly  paid. 

When  the  ship  came  up  the  harbor,  she  was  met 
and  surrounded  by  a  great  flotilla  of  gaily  decorated 
boats;  while  the  flags  on  the  surrounding  vessels  were 


i46  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

dipped  in  salutation  as  the  war-scarred  veteran  made 
her  stately  way  to  the  wharf.  Here  a  volunteer  ar 
tillery  company  was  assembled;  and,  as  the  ship  came 
up,  they  fired  a  national  salute,  which  was  returned 
from  the  guns  so  lately  employed  in  defending  the  na 
tional  honor.  Quarters  had  been  prepared  for  Cap 
tain  Hull  in  the  city;  and,  as  he  landed,  he  found  the 
streets  through  which  he  must  pass  decked  with  bright 
bunting,  and  crowded  with  people.  His  progress  jvas 
accompanied  by  a  great  wave  of  cheers;  for,  as  the 
people  saw  him  coming,  they  set  up  a  shout,  which 
was  not  ended  until  he  had  passed  from  sight.  At 
night  came  a  grand  banquet  to  the  officers  of  the  ship, 
at  which  six  hundred  sat  down  to  the  feast.  The 
freedom  of  the  city  was  presented  to  the  captain;  and 
at  a  later  date  came  the  news  of  sword  presentations 
from  citizens  of  New  York,  plate  from  the  people  of 
Philadelphia,  and  gold  medals  from  Congress.  Amid 
all  the  exultation,  the  rash  arrogance  of  the  British 
writers  was  not  forgotten;  and  many  a  bumper  was 
emptied  to  the  success  of  the  frigate  described  by  Brit 
ish  journalists  as  "  a  bunch  of  pine  boards  under  a 
bit  of  striped  bunting.'* 


CHAPTER  X 

Three  Fierce  Naval  Duels—"  United  States  "  and  "  Macedonian  "— 
"Wasp"  and  "  Frolic  "— "  Constitution  "  and  "Java." 

A  SECOND  notable  single  ship  action  followed  fast  upon 
Hull's  victory  over  the  "  Guerriere."  In  the  late 
fall  of  1813  the  United  States  ship  "United  States," 
in  command  of  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur,  whom 
we  have  read  of  in  connection  with  the  war  with  Tri 
poli,  was  cruising  toward  the  West  Indies  when  she 
fell  in  with  H.  B.  M.  ship  "  Macedonian,"  Captain 
Carden.  The  vessels  were  not  unevenly  matched, 
though  the  "  United  States  "  mounted  six  more  guns 
than  her  enemy.  Indeed,  as  was  so  often  the  case 
in  those  days,  the  two  captains  had  met  in  friendly 
chat  long  before  the  war,  and  each  expressed  himself 
as  certain  of  victory  should  their  vessels  meet  in  battle. 
One  of  the  powder-monkeys,  named  Samuel  Leech, 
of  the  British  ship,  told  graphically  and  simply  the 
story  of  that  day's  doings  on  the  "  Macedonian  " : 

"  Sunday  (Dec.  25,  tSiz)  came,  and  it  brought  with 
it  a  stiff  breeze,"  so  runs  the  powder-monkey's  tale. 
"  We  usually  made  a  sort  of  holiday  of  this  sacred 
day.  After  breakfast  it  was  common  to  muster  the 
entire  crew  on  the  spar-deck,  dressed  as  the  fancy  of 
the  captain  might  dictate, — sometimes  in  blue  jackets 
and  white  trousers,  or  blue  jackets  and  blue  trousers; 
at  other  times  in  blue  jackets,  scarlet  vests,  and  blue 
or  white  trousers ;  with  our  bright  anchor-buttons  glanc 
ing  in  the  sun,  and  our  black,  glossy  hats  ornamented 
with  black  ribbons,  and  the  name  of  our  ship  painted 
on  them.  After  muster  we  frequently  had  church- 
service  read  by  the  captain;  the  rest  of  the  day  was 

147 


i48  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

devoted  to  idleness.  But  we  were  destined  to  spend 
the  rest  of  the  Sabbath  just  introduced  to  the  reader 
in  a  very  different  manner. 

u  We  had  scarcely  finished  breakfast  before  the  man 
at  the  masthead  shouted  '  Sail,  ho !  ' 

'  The  captain  rushed  upon  deck,  exclaiming,  *  Mast 
head,  there !  ' 

"'Sir?' 

"'Where  away  is  the  sail?' 

'  The  precise  answer  to  this  question  I  do  not  recol 
lect;  but  the  captain  proceeded  to  ask,  '  What  does 
she  look  like?' 

'  A  square-rigged  vessel,  sir,'  was  the  reply  of  the 
lookout. 

"  After  a  few  minutes,  the  captain  shouted  again, 
'  Masthead,  there !  ' 

"'Sir?' 

"'What  does  she  look  like?' 
'  A  large  ship,  sir,  standing  toward  us.' 

"  By  this  time,  most  of  the  crew  were  on  deck, 
eagerly  straining  their  eyes  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the 
approaching  ship,  and  murmuring  their  opinions  to 
each  other  on  her  probable  character. 

"  Then  came  the  voice  of  the  captain,  shouting, 
'  Keep  silence,  fore  and  aft!  ' 

"  Silence  being  secured,  he  hailed  the  lookout,  who 
to  his  question  of  '  What  does  she  look  like?  '  replied, 
'  A  large  frigate  bearing  down  upon  us,  sir.' 

"  A  whisper  ran  along  the  crew,  that  the  stranger 
ship  was  a  Yankee  frigate.  The  thought  was  con 
firmed  by  the  command  of  '  All  hands  clear  the  ship 
for  action,  ahoy!  '  The  drum  and  fife  beat  to  quar 
ters,  bulkheads  were  knocked  away,  the  guns  were  re 
leased  from  their  confinement,  the  whole  dread  para 
phernalia  of  battle  was  produced;  and,  after  the  lapse 
of  a  few  minutes  of  hurry  and  confusion,  every  man 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        149 

and  boy  was  at  his  post  ready  to  do  his  best  service 
for  his  country,  except  the  band,  who,  claiming  exemp 
tion  from  the  affray,  safely  stowed  themselves  away  in 
the  cable  tier.  We  had  only  one  sick  man  on  the  list ; 
and  he,  at  the  cry  of  battle,  hurried  from  his  cot,  feeble 
as  he  was,  to  take  his  post  of  danger.  A  few  of  the 
junior  midshipmen  were  stationed  below  on  the  berth- 
deck,  with  orders,  given  in  our  hearing,  to  shoot  any 
man  who  attempted  to  move  from  his  quarters. 

"  As  the  approaching  ship  showed  American  colors, 
all  doubt  of  her  character  was  at  an  end.  '  We  must 
fight  her,7  was  the  conviction  of  every  breast.  Every 
possible  arrangement  that  could  insure  success  was  ac 
cordingly  made.  The  guns  were  shotted,  the  matches 
lighted;  for,  although  our  guns  were  all  furnished  with 
first-class  locks,  they  were  also  furnished  with  matches, 
attached  by  lanyards,  in  case  the  lock  should  miss  fire. 
A  lieutenant  then  passed  through  the  ship,  directing 
the  marines  and  boarders — who  were  furnished  with 
pikes,  cutlasses,  and  pistols — how  to  proceed  if  it 
should  be  necessary  to  board  the  enemy.  He  was 
followed  by  the  captain,  who  exhorted  the  men  to 
fidelity  and  courage,  urging  upon  their  consideration 
the  well-known  motto  of  the  brave  Nelson,  '  England 
expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty.'  In  addition  to  all 
these  preparations  on  deck,  some  men  were  stationed 
in  the  tops  with  small  arms,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
attend  to  trimming  the  sails,  and  to  use  their  muskets, 
provided  we  came  to  close  action.  There  were  others, 
also,  below,  called  sail-trimmers,  to  assist  in  working 
the  ship,  should  it  be  necessary  to  shift  her  position 
during  the  battle." 

In  the  crew  of  the  "  United  States "  were  many 
young  boys,  of  ages  ranging  from  twelve  to  fourteen 
years.  At  that  time  many  a  lad  received  his  warrant 
as  midshipman  while  still  in  his  tenth  year;  and  young- 


i5o  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

sters  who  wished  to  join  the  navy  as  "  ship's  boys," 
were  always  received,  although  sometimes  their  extreme 
youth  made  it  illegal  for  their  names  to  be  formally 
enrolled  upon  the  roster  of  the  crew.  Such  was  the 
station  of  little  Jack  Creamer,  a  ten-year-old  boy,  who 
had  been  serving  on  the  ship  for  some  weeks,  although 
under  the  age  at  which  he  could  be  legally  enlisted. 
When  Jack  saw  the  English  frigate  looming  up  in  the 
distance,  a  troubled  look  came  over  his  face,  and  he 
seemed  to  be  revolving  some  grave  problem  in  his 
mind.  His  comrades  noticed  his  look  of  care,  and 
rallied  him  on  what  they  supposed  to  be  his  fear  of 
the  coming  conflict.  Jack  stoutly  denied  this  charge, 
but  said  he  was  anxious  to  speak  to  the  captain  before 
going  into  action.  An  old  quartermaster  marched  him 
up  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  stood  waiting  for  Captain 
Decatur's  attention.  In  a  moment  the  captain  noticed 
the  two,  and  said  cheerily: 

'Well,  Jack,  what's  wanting  now?" 

Touching  his  hat,  the  lad  replied:  "  Commodore, 
will  you  please  to  have  my  name  put  down  on  the 
muster-roll?  " 

"Why,  what  for,  my  lad?" 

"  So  that  I  can  draw  my  share  of  the  prize-money, 
when  we  take  that  Britisher,  sir." 

Amused  and  pleased  with  the  lad's  confidence  in  the 
success  of  the  "  United  States  "  in  the  coming  battle, 
Decatur  gave  the  necessary  order;  and  Jack  went  back 
to  his  post  with  a  prouder  step,  for  he  was  now  regu 
larly  enrolled. 

The  two  ships  were  now  coming  within  range  of 
each  other,  and  a  slow,  long-distance  cannonade  was 
begun,  with  but  little  effect;  for  a  long  ground-swell 
was  on,  and  the  ships  were  rolling  in  a  manner  fatal 
to  the  aim  of  the  gunners.  After  half  an  hour  of 
this  playing  at  long  bowls,  the  Englishman's  mizzen 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        151 

top-mast  was  shot  away;  and  the  cannon-balls  from 
the  "  States  "  whizzed  through  the  rigging,  and 
splashed  into  the  water  about  the  "  Macedonian,"  in 
a  way  that  proved  the  American  gunners  had  the  range, 
and  were  utilizing  it.  Captain  Garden  soon  saw  that 
at  long  range  the  American  gunners  were  more  than 
a  match  for  his  men,  and  he  resolved  to  throw  prudence 
to  the  winds;  and,  disdaining  all  manoeuvring,  bore 
straight  down  on  the  American  ship,  that  lay  almost 
stationary  on  the  water,  pouring  in  rapid  and  well- 
aimed  broadsides. 

Though  a  gallant  and  dashing  movement,  this  course 
led  to  the  defeat  of  the  English  ship.  The  fire  of 
the  Americans  was  deadly  in  its  aim,  and  marvellous 
in  rapidity.  So  continuous  was  the  flashing  of  the  dis 
charges  from  the  broadside  ports,  that  the  sailors  on 
the  "  Macedonian  "  thought  their  adversary  was  on 
fire,  and  cheered  lustily.  But  the  next  instant  their 
exultation  was  turned  to  sorrow;  for  a  well-directed 
shot  cut  away  the  mizzen-mast,  which  fell  alongside, 
suspended  by  the  cordage. 

"Huzza,  Jack!"  cried  the  captain  of  a  gun 
on  the  "  United  States."  "  We've  made  a  brig  of 
her." 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  lad,"  said  Decatur,  who  stood  near  by; 
"  now  aim  well  at  the  main-mast,  and  she'll  be  a  sloop 


soon." 


A  few  minutes  later,  the  captain  shouted  to  the  near 
est  gunner,  "  Aim  at  the  yellow  streak.  Her  spars 
and  rigging  are  going  fast  enough.  She  must  have  a 
little  more  hulling." 

This  order  was  immediately  passed  along  the  gun- 
deck,  until  every  gunner  was  striving  his  utmost  to 
plant  his  shot  in  the  hull  of  the  enemy.  The  effect 
was  terrible.  The  great  missiles  crashed  through  the 
wooden  sides  of  the  English  frigate,  and  swept  the 


i52  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

decks  clear  of  men.  She  was  coming  down  on  the 
American  bravely,  and  with  manifest  intention  of 
boarding;  but  so  skilfully  was  the  "United  States  " 
manoeuvred,  and  so  accurate  and  rapid  was  her  fire, 
that  the  "  Macedonian  "  was  unable  to  close,  and  was 
fairly  cut  to  pieces,  while  still  more  than  a  pistol-shot 
distant.  The  "  United  States/'  in  the  meantime,  was 
almost  unscathed.  The  aim  of  the  English  gunners 
was  usually  too  high,  and  such  shots  as  took  effect 
were  mainly  in  the  rigging.  After  pounding  away 
at  the  "  Macedonian  "  until  the  chocks  of  the  fore 
castle  guns  on  that  ship  were  cut  away,  her  boats  cut 
to  pieces,  and  her  hull  shattered  with  more  than  one 
hundred  shot-holes,  the  American  ship  drew  away 
slightly.  The  British  thought  she  was  in  retreat,  and 
cheered  lustily,  but  were  soon  undeceived;  for,  after 
a  little  manoeuvring,  the  "  United  States  "  ranged  up 
under  her  adversary's  lee,  securing  a  raking  position. 
Before  a  broadside  could  be  fired,  the  British  hauled 
down  their  flag;  and  the  action  was  ended,  after  just 
an  hour  and  a  half  of  fighting. 

The  slaughter  on  the  British  frigate  had  been  ap 
palling.  From  the  official  accounts,  we  glean  the  cold 
reports  of  the  numbers  of  the  killed  and  wounded; 
but  for  any  picture  of  the  scene  on  the  decks  of  the 
defeated  man-of-war,  we  must  turn  to  such  descriptions 
as  have  been  left  by  eye-witnesses.  Sailors  are  not 
much  given  to  the  habit  of  jotting  down  the  descrip 
tions  of  the  many  stirring  scenes  in  which  they  play 
parts  in  their  adventurous  careers;  and  much  that  is 
romantic,  much  that  is  picturesque,  and  much  that  is 
of  historic  value,  has  thus  been  lost  to  history.  But 
of  the  details  of  the  action  between  the  "  Macedonian  " 
and  "  United  States,"  the  sailor-lad  already  quoted  has 
left  an  account,  probably  as  trustworthy  as  should  be 
expected  of  a  witness  in  his  situation.  He  was  sta- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        153 

tioned  at  one  of  the  guns  on  the  main-deck;  and  it 
was  his  duty,  as  powder-boy,  to  run  to  the  magazine 
for  powder  for  his  gun.  Before  the  entrance  to  the 
magazine  was  a  heavy  wooden  screen,  pierced  with  a 
hole  through  which  the  cartridges  were  passed  out  to 
the  fleet-footed  powder-monkeys,  as  they  rushed  up  for 
more  powder.  Each  boy,  on  getting  his  cartridge, 
wrapped  it  in  his  jacket,  that  no  stray  spark  might 
touch  it,  and  dashed  off  at  full  speed  for  his  gun, 
quickly  returning  for  further  supplies. 

With  the  men  all  standing  pale  and  silent  at  the 
guns,  the  "  Macedonian  "  came  on  doggedly  towards 
her  foe.  Three  guns  fired  from  the  larboard  side  of 
the  gun-deck  opened  the  action;  but  the  fire  was  quickly 
stopped  by  the  gruff  order  from  the  quarter-deck, 
"Cease  firing:  you  are  throwing  away  your  shot!" 
Then  came  the  roar  of  the  opening  volley  from  the 
American  frigate. 

"  A  strange  noise  such  as  I  had  never  heard  before 
next  arrested  my  attention,"  wrote  the  English  sailor- 
lad.  "  It  sounded  like  the  tearing  of  sails  just  over 
our  heads.  This  I  soon  ascertained  to  be  the  wind 
of  the  enemy's  shot.  The  firing,  after  a  few  minutes' 
cessation,  recommenced.  The  roaring  of  cannon  could 
now  be  heard  from  all  parts  of  our  trembling  ship; 
and,  mingling  as  it  did  with  that  of  our  foes,  it  made 
a  most  hideous  noise.  By  and  by  I  heard  the  shot 
strike  the  sides  of  our  ship.  The  whole  scene  grew 
indescribably  confused  and  horrible.  It  was  like  some 
awfully  tremendous  thunderstorm,  whose  deafening 
roar  is  attended  by  incessant  streaks  of  lightning,  carry 
ing  death  in  every  flash,  and  strewing  the  ground  with 
the  victims  of  its  wrath;  only  in  our  case  the  scene 
was  rendered  more  horrible  than  that  by  the  presence 
of  torrents  of  blood,  which  dyed  our  decks.  Though 
the  recital  may  be  painful,  yet,  as  it  will  reveal  the 


I54  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

horrors  of  war,  and  show  at  what  a  fearful  price  the 
victory  is  won  or  lost,  I  will  present  the  reader  with 
things  as  they  met  my  eye  during  the  progress  of  this 
dreadful  fight.  I  was  busily  supplying  my  gun  with 
powder,  when  I  saw  blood  suddenly  fly  from  the  arm 
of  a  man  stationed  at  our  gun.  I  saw  nothing  strike 
him:  the  effect  alone  was  visible;  and  in  an  instant 
the  third  lieutenant  tied  his  handkerchief  round  the 
wounded  arm,  and  sent  the  poor  fellow  below  to  the 
surgeon. 

"  The  cries  of  the  wounded  now  rang  through  all 
parts  of  the  ship.  These  were  carried  to  the  cockpit 
as  fast  as  they  fell,  while  those  more  fortunate  men 
who  were  killed  outright  were  immediately  thrown 
overboard.  As  I  was  stationed  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  main  hatchway,  I  could  catch  a  glance  at 
all  who  were  carried  below.  A  glance  was  all  I  could 
indulge  -in;  for  the  boys  belonging  to  the  guns  next 
to  mine  were  wounded  in  the  early  part  of  the  action, 
and  I  had  to  spring  with  all  my  might  to  keep  three 
or  four  guns  supplied  with  cartridges.  I  saw  two  of 
these  lads  fall  nearly  together.  One  of  them  was 
struck  in  the  leg  by  a  large  shot;  he  had  to  suffer  am 
putation  above  the  wound.  The  other  had  a  grape  or 
canister  sent  through  his  ankle.  A  stout  Yorkshire- 
man  lifted  him  in  his  arms,  and  hurried  with  him  to  the 
cockpit.  He  had  his  foot  cut  off,  and  was  thus  made 
lame  for  life.  Two  of  the  boys  stationed  on  the  quar 
ter-deck  were  killed.  They  were  both  Portuguese.  A 
man  who  saw  one  killed  afterwards  told  me  that  his 
powder  caught  fire,  and  burnt  the  flesh  almost  off  his 
face.  In  this  pitiable  situation  the  agonized  boy  lifted 
up  both  hands,  as  if  imploring  relief,  when  a  passing 
shot  instantly  cut  him  in  two." 

But  the  narrative  of  this  young  sailor,  a  boy  in  years, 
is  almost  too  horrible  for  reproduction.  He  tells  of 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        155 

men  struck  by  three  or  four  missiles  at  once,  and  hacked 
to  pieces;  of  mangled  sailors,  mortally  wounded,  but 
still  living,  thrown  overboard  to  end  their  sufferings; 
of  the  monotonous  drip  of  the  blood  on  the  deck,  as 
desperately  wounded  men  were  carried  past.  The 
brave  seaman  who  left  his  bed  of  sickness  for  the  post 
of  duty  had  his  head  carried  away  by  a  cannon-ball. 
The  schoolmaster  who  looked  after  the  education  of 
the  midshipmen  was  killed.  Even  a  poor  goat,  kept 
by  the  officers  for  her  milk,  was  cut  down  by  a  cannon- 
ball,  and,  after  hobbling  piteously  about  the  deck,  was 
mercifully  thrown  overboard.  And  this  was  Sunday, 
Christmas  Day! 

The  spot  amidships  where  our  sailor-lad  was  sta 
tioned  must  have  been  the  hottest  station  in  the  whole 
ship.  Many  years  later,  as  Herman  Melville,  the 
author  of  several  exciting  sea-tales,  was  walking  the 
deck  of  a  man-of-war  with  an  old  negro,  "  Tawney," 
who  had  served  on  the  "  Macedonian,"  the  veteran 
stopped  at  a  point  abreast  the  main-mast.  "  This  part 
of  the  ship,"  said  he,  "  we  called  the  slaughter-house, 
on  board  the  '  Macedonian.'  Here  the  men  fell,  five 
and  six  at  a  time.  An  enemy  always  directs  its  shot 
here,  in  order  to  hurl  over  the  mast,  if  possible.  The 
beams  and  carlines  overhead  in  the  l  Macedonian ' 
slaughter-house  were  spattered  with  blood  and  brains. 
About  the  hatchways  it  looked  like  a  butcher's  stall. 
A  shot  entering  at  one  of  the  portholes  dashed  dead 
two-thirds  of  a  gun's  crew.  The  captain  of  the  next 
gun,  dropping  his  lock-string,  which  he  had  just  pulled, 
turned  over  the  heap  of  bodies,  to  see  who  they  were; 
when,  perceiving  an  old  messmate  who  had  sailed  with 
him  in  many  cruises,  he  burst  into  tears,  and  taking  the 
corpse  up  in  his  arms,  and  going  to  the  side  with  it, 
held  it  over  the  water  a  moment,  and  eyeing  it,  cried, 
'O  God!  Tom." 


156  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

"  *  Hang  your  prayers  over  that  thing!  Overboard 
with  it,  and  down  to  your  gun !  ' 

"  The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  heart-stricken  sailor 
returned  to  his  post." 

Amid  such  scenes  of  terror,  the  British  tars  fought 
on  doggedly,  cheering  loudly  as  they  worked  their  guns, 
but  not  knowing  why  they  cheered;  for  the  officers, 
at  least,  could  see  how  surely  the  battle  was  going 
against  them.  When  the  "  United  States  "  drew  away 
to  repair  damages,  the  British  officers  held  a  consulta 
tion  on  the  quarter-deck.  They  could  not  but  see  that 
their  position  was  hopeless;  and,  knowing  all  further 
resistance  to  be  folly,  the  flag  was  hauled  down.  To 
the  pride  of  the  officers  the  surrender  was  doubtless 
a  severe  blow.  But  Sam  Leech  remarks  pithily,  that 
to  him  "  it  was  a  pleasing  sight;  for  he  had  seen  fight 
ing  enough  for  one  Sabbath, — more,  indeed,  than  he 
wished  to  see  again  on  a  week-day." 

Decatur  at  once  hailed,  to  learn  the  name  of  his 
prize,  and  then  sent  off  a  boat  with  Lieutenant  Allen 
to  take  possession.  He  found  the  decks  of  the  ship 
in  a  fearful  state.  Many  of  the  crew  had  found  liquor, 
and  were  drinking  heavily.  Others  were  throwing  the 
dead  into  the  sea,  carrying  the  wounded  below,  and 
sprinkling  the  deck  with  hot  vinegar,  to  remove  the 
stains  and  odor  of  blood.  The  dead  numbered  forty- 
three,  and  sixty-one  were  wounded.  An  eye-witness 
of  the  terrible  spectacle  writes  of  it:  "Fragments  of 
the  dead  were  distributed  in  every  direction,  the  decks 
covered  with  blood, — one  continued,  agonizing  yell  of 
the  unhappy  wounded.  A  scene  so  horrible  of  my 
fellow-creatures,  I  assure  you,  deprived  me  very  much 
of  the  pleasure  of  victory."  Yet,  with  all  this  terrific 
destruction  and  loss  of  life  on  the  "  Macedonian,"  the 
"United  States"  was  but  little  injured;  and  her  loss 
amounted  to  but  seven  killed,  and  five  wounded.  In- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        157 

deed,  so  slight  was  the  damage  done  to  the  American 
ship,  that  an  hour's  active  work  by  her  sailors  put  her  in 
trim  for  a  second  battle. 

After  the  "  Macedonian  "  had  been  formally  taken 
possession  of  by  Lieutenant  Allen,  the  British  officers 
were  removed  to  the  American  ship.  Some  of  them 
were  inclined  to  be  very  surly  over  their  defeat,  and 
by  words  and  actions  showed  their  contempt  for  the 
Americans,  whose  prisoners  they  were.  In  the  first 
boat  which  went  from  the  prize  to  the  victor  was  the 
first  lieutenant  of  the  "  Macedonian."  As  he  clam 
bered  down  the  side  of  his  vessel,  he  noticed  that  his 
baggage  had  not  been  put  in  the  boat  which  was  to 
bear  him  to  the  American  frigate.  Turning  to  Lieu 
tenant  Allen,  he  said  surlily : 

"  You  do  not  intend  to  send  me  away  without  my 
baggage?" 

"  I  hope,"  responded  Allen  courteously,  "  that  you 
do  not  take  us  for  privateersmen." 

u  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  by  whom  I  have  been 
taken,"  was  the  rude  reply,  which  so  angered  Allen  that 
he  peremptorily  ordered  the  fellow  to*  take  his  place 
in  the  boat,  and  be  silent. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  demeanor  of  the  Brit 
ish  captives,  they  met  with  nothing  but  the  most  con 
siderate  treatment  from  the  American  officers.  Cap 
tain  Garden,  on  his  arrival  upon  the  deck  of  the  vic 
torious  frigate,  was  received  with  the  consideration  due 
his  rank  and  the  brave  defence  of  his  vessel.  He  was 
conducted  at  once  to  Decatur's  cabin,  on  entering  which 
he  took  off  his  sword,  and  mutely  held  it  out  for  De 
catur's  acceptance.  Decatur  courteously  refused  to  ac 
cept  it,  saying,  "  Sir,  I  cannot  take  the  sword  of  a 
man  who  has  defended  his  ship  so  bravely;  but  I  will 
take  your  hand."  As  long  as  Garden  and  his  officers 
remained  on  the  ship,  they  were  treated  with  the  great- 


i58  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

est  consideration,  and  were  allowed  to  retain  all  their 
personal  property.  Every  attempt  was  made  to  take 
away  from  them  the  bitter  remembrance  of  their  de 
feat.  The  innate  nobility  of  Decatur's  nature  is  well 
shown  in  a  letter  written  to  his  wife  a  few  days  after 
the  action.  "  One-half  of  the  satisfaction,"  he  says, 
"  arising  from  this  victory  is  destroyed  in  seeing  the 
mortification  of  poor  Garden,  who  deserved  success  as 
much  as  we  did  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  obtain 
it."  When  Garden  left  the  ship,  he  thanked  Decatur 
for  his  consideration,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  do  like 
wise  by  the  Americans,  should  he  ever  be  able  to  turn 
the  tables. 

Amid  the  heat  of  battle  and  the  excitement  of  suc 
cess,  Decatur  did  not  forget  little  Jack  Creamer,  the 
lately  enrolled  ship's  boy.  Shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
conflict,  he  sent  for  Jack  to  come  to  his  cabin.  Soon 
a  much  abashed  small  boy  stood  before  the  captain. 

"  Well,  Jack,"  said  the  great  man,  "  we  did  take 
her,  after  all." 

"  Yes,  your  Honor,"  responded  Jack.  "  I  knew  we 
would,  before  we  gave  her  the  first  broadside." 

"  And  your  share  of  the  prize-money,"  continued 
Decatur,  u  may  amount  to  two  hundred  dollars,  if  we 
get  her  safe  into  port.  Now,  what  are  you  going  to 
do  with  so  much  money?  " 

Jack's  eyes  had  lighted  up  at  the  thought  of  such 
great  wealth. 

"  Please,  sir,"  he  cried,  "  I'll  send  half  of  it  to  my 
mother;  and  the  rest  will  get  me  a  bit  of  schooling." 
'Well  said,  Jack,"  said  Decatur  warmly;  and  the 
interview  closed  for  the  time.  But  the  captain's  in 
terest  in  the  boy  was  aroused,  and  for  years  he  showed 
an  almost  fatherly  regard  for  the  lad.  Jack  had  his 
u  bit  of  schooling,"  then  received  a  midshipman's  war 
rant,  and  for  years  served  Decatur,  giving  promise  of 


fc   s 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        159 

becoming  an  able  officer.  At  last,  however,  his  career 
was  ended  by  the  accidental  upsetting  of  a  boat  when 
on  a  pleasure  excursion  in  the  Mediterranean. 

Leaving  now,  for  a  time,  the  story  of  the  frigate 
battles,  let  us  look  at  some  of  the  sharp  fights  fought 
by  the  lesser  vessels  of  the  United  States  navy.  A 
typical  action  of  this  character  was  the  victory  of 
the  United  States  sloop-of-war  "  Wasp "  over  the 
"  Frolic."  The  "  Wasp  "  was  one  of  the  smallest  ships 
of  our  navy,  but  well-built,  well-found,  and  well- 
manned — a  veritable  bantam.  She  carried  sixteen 
thirty-two  pounder  carronades  and  two  "  long  twelves." 
Her  commander,  Jacob  Jones,  had  served  in  the  war 
with  Tripoli  and  had  been  a  captive  among  the  Bar 
barians.  It  was  on  a  bright  fall  day  in  1812  that 
the  "  Wasp  "  caught  sight  of  a  British  fleet  of  six 
vessels  convoyed  by  a  bluff  little  brig — the  man-of-war 
"  Frolic  "  of  a  rating  equal  to  that  of  the  American. 

It  was  half-past  eleven  in  the  morning  when  the 
action  began.  The  day  was  an  ideal  October  morning 
at  sea, — cool,  clear,  and  a  breeze  blowing  fresh  and 
constantly  stiffening.  The  two  vessels  were  running 
on  the  starboard  tack,  not  sixty  yards  apart.  As  they 
ploughed  through  the  waves,  great  clouds  of  spray 
dashed  over  the  bows;  and  every  now  and  then  a  wave 
would  sweep  over  the  forecastle,  drenching  the  jackies 
as  they  stood  at  their  quarters.  As  they  sped  along, 
the  two  ships  exchanged  broadsides,  the  "  Frolic  "  fir 
ing  three  to  the  "  Wasp's  "  two.  After  every  broad 
side,  the  gunners  cheered  as  they  saw  the  damage  done 
by  their  fire.  When  the  state  of  the  sea  is  considered, 
it  seems  marvellous  that  the  broadsides  should  have 
done  any  execution  whatever.  The  vessels  were  roll 
ing  terribly,  now  wallowing  in  the  trough  of  the  sea, 
and  again  tossed  high  on  the  crest  of  some  enormous 
wave.  At  one  instant  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  would 


160  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

be  pointed  toward  the  skies,  then  actually  submerged 
under  the  waves,  from  which  they  rose  dripping,  to 
be  loaded  and  fired  before  another  dip  should  soak 
the  charge.  Yet,  with  all  this  rolling  to  spoil  their 
aim,  the  gunners  of  both  ships  pointed  their  pieces 
with  most  destructive  effect.  Within  five  minutes 
from  the  time  of  opening  fire,  the  main  top-mast  of 
the  "  Wasp  "  was  shot  away,  and  hung  tangled  in  the 
rigging,  despite  the  active  efforts  of  the  topmen,  headed 
by  the  nimble  midshipmen,  to  clear  away  the  wreck. 
This  greatly  hampered  the  movements  of  the  American 
vessel;  and  when,  a  few  minutes  later,  the  gaff  and 
the  main  top-gallant  mast  fell,  the  chances  of  the  Amer 
ican  ship  seemed  poor,  indeed.  The  effects  of  the 
"  Wasp's  "  fire  were  chiefly  to  be  seen  in  the  hull  of 
her  antagonist;  but  the  first  twenty  minutes  of  the  fight 
seemed  to  give  the  Englishman  every  chance  of  vic 
tory,  since  his  fire  had  so  cut  away  the  rigging  of  the 
"  Wasp  "  that  she  became  unmanageable.  It  is  said 
that  the  difference  between  the  execution  done  by  the 
two  batteries  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  British  fired 
as  their  ship  was  rising  on  the  crest  of  the  wave,  while 
the  Americans  fired  from  the  trough  of  the  sea,  send 
ing  their  shot  into  the  hull  of  the  enemy. 

While  the  fight  was  raging,  the  two  ships  were  con 
stantly  drawing  nearer  together;  and  just  as  it  seemed 
as  though  the  destruction  wrought  in  the  "  Wasp's  " 
rigging  would  inevitably  lead  to  her  defeat,  the  two 
vessels  fouled.  For  an  instant  they  lay  yard-arm  to 
yard-arm,  and  at  that  very  moment  the  American  gun 
ners  poured  in  a  terrific  broadside.  So  close  were 
the  two  vessels  to  each  other,  that,  in  loading,  the 
rammers  were  shoved  up  against  the  sides  of  the 
"  Frolic."  Before  the  gunners  of  the  "  Frolic  "  could 
respond  to  this  broadside,  their  ship  swung  round  so 
that  her  bow  lay  against  the  "Wasp's"  quarter;  and 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        161 

her  bowsprit  passed  over  the  heads  of  Captain  Jones 
and  his  officers  as  they  stood  on  the  quarter-deck.  That 
was  the  moment  for  a  raking  volley;  and  with  deadly 
aim  the  Americans  poured  it  in,  and  the  heavy  iron 
bolts  swept  the  decks  of  the  "  Frolic  "  from  stem  to 
stern. 

This  turn  in  the  tide  of  battle  fairly  crazed  with  ex 
citement  the  sailors  of  the  "  Wasp."  With  ringing 
cheers  they  applauded  the  success  of  the  last  volley, 
and,  springing  into  the  hammock-nettings,  called  loudly 
for  their  officers  to  lead  them  on  board  the  English 
ship.  From  the  quarter-deck,  Captain  Jones,  with 
shouts  and  gestures,  strove  to  hold  back  the  excited 
men  until  another  broadside  could  be  given  the  enemy. 
But  the  enthusiasm  of  the  sailors  was  beyond  all  con 
trol.  All  at  once,  they  saw  a  sailor  from  New  Jersey, 
named  Jack  Lang,  spring  on  a  gun,  cutlass  in  hand, 
ready  to  board.  All  were  about  to  follow  him,  when 
Captain  Jones  called  him  down.  Only  for  a  minute 
did  Jack's  sense  of  duty  overcome  his  enthusiasm;  and 
then,  remembering  that  he  had  once  been  impressed  on 
the  "  Frolic,"  his  rage  blazed  up,  and  in  an  instant 
he  was  clambering  over  the  nettings,  calling  for  fol 
lowers.  Captain  Jones  saw  that  the  ardor  of  his  crew 
was  beyond  all  control,  and  ordered  the  bugler  to  call 
away  the  boarders.  Headed  by  their  officers,  the  bold 
tars  swarmed  over  the  nettings,  and  through  the  tangled 
rigging,  to  the  deck  of  the  enemy's  ship.  Each  man 
clutched  his  cutlass  viciously,  for  he  felt  that  a  des 
perate  conflict  was  imminent.  But  when  they  dropped 
upon  the  deck  of  the  "  Frolic,"  a  most  unexpected  spec 
tacle  met  their  eyes. 

The  broad  deck  stretched  out  before  them,  unten- 
anted  save  by  a  few  wounded  officers  near  the  stern, 
and  a  grim  old  British  seaman  at  the  wheel.  Instead 
of  the  host  of  armed  men  with  whom  the  boarders 


162  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

expected  to  dispute  the  possession  of  the  ship,  they 
saw  before  them  only  heaps  of  dead  sailors  lying  about 
the  guns  which  they  had  been  serving.  On  the  quar 
ter-deck  lay  Captain  Whinyates  and  Lieutenant  Wintle, 
desperately  wounded.  All  who  were  unhurt  had  fled 
below,  to  escape  the  pitiless  fire  of  the  American  guns, 
and  the  unerring  aim  of  the  sailors  stationed  in  the 
"  Wasp's  "  tops.  Only  the  old  helmsman  stood  un 
daunted  at  his  post,  and  held  the  ship  on  her  course, 
even  while  the  Americans  were  swarming  over  the  net 
tings  and  clambering  down  the  bowsprit.  The  colors 
were  still  flying  above  the  ship;  but  there  was  no  one 
left,  either  to  defend  them  or  to  haul  them  down,  and 
they  were  finally  lowered  by  the  hands  of  Lieutenant 
Biddle,  who  led  the  boarding  party. 

No  action  of  the  war  was  so  sanguinary  as  this 
short  conflict  between  two  sloops-of-war.  The  "  Fro 
lic  "  went  into  action  with  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  men,  fully  officered.  When  the  colors  were  hauled 
down,  only  twenty  men  were  uninjured.  Every  officer 
was  wounded,  and  of  the  crew  thirty  lost  their  lives. 
They  had  stood  to  their  guns  with  the  dogged  courage 
of  the  English  sailor  at  his  best,  and  had  been  fairly 
mowed  down  by  the  destructive  fire  of  the  Americans. 
On  the  "Wasp,"  the  loss  of  life  was  slight.  The 
shot  of  the  enemy  took  effect  in  the  rigging  chiefly. 
The  three  sailors  who  were  killed  were  topmen  at  their 
posts,  and  the  five  wounded  were  almost  all  stationed 
in  the  rigging. 

The  Americans  were  not  destined  to  enjoy  their 
triumph  long.  Shattered  though  the  "  Frolic  "  was, 
Lieutenant  Biddle,  with  a  prize-crew,  took  charge  of 
her,  and  was  in  hopes  of  taking  her  safely  to  port; 
but  his  plan  was  rudely  shattered  by  the  appearance 
of  an  English  frigate,  only  a  few  hours  after  the  action 
ceased.  For  the  "  Frolic  "  to  escape  was  out  of  the 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       163 

question.  Both  her  masts  had  gone  by  the  board 
shortly  after  her  flag  was  struck;  and,  when  the  new 
enemy  hove  in  sight,  the  prize-crew  was  working  hard 
to  clear  from  her  decks  the  tangled  mass  of  rigging, 
wreckage,  and  dead  bodies,  that  made  the  tasks  of 
navigation  impossible.  The  ship  was  rolling  like  a 
log,  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  was  an  easy  prize 
for  an  enemy  of  even  less  strength  than  the  man-of- 
war  which  was  then  bearing  down  upon  her. 

One  more  fierce  naval  duel  ends  the  record  of  the 
year  1812  upon  the  ocean.  After  her  famous  victory 
over  the  "  Guerriere  "  the  frigate  "  Constitution  "  had 
put  into  Boston  to  refit.  When  the  ship  was  again 
ready  for  sea  Captain  Hull  voluntarily  resigned  the 
command,  saying  that  it  was  fair  to  give  some  other 
commander  a  chance  for  glory.  The  choice  fell  upon 
Captain  Bainbridge,  whose  ill-luck  in  the  war  with 
Tripoli  has  already  been  noted.  But  the  time  had 
now  come  to  change  his  fortune.  Sailing  from  Boston 
with  the  sloop  "  Hornet "  for  a  consort  he  left  that 
vessel  blockading  in  San  Salvador  harbor  the  English 
man-of-war  "  Bonne  Citoyenne,"  which  had  half  a  mil 
lion  pounds  sterling  in  her  hold.  Three  days  later 
the  American  frigate  sighted  a  British  vessel,  which 
made  no  effort  to  avoid  a  conflict,  but  bore  boldly  down 
to  the  attack.  This  was  the  ship  "  Java,"  a  thirty- 
eight,  and  therefore  outclassed  by  the  "  Constitution," 
but  commanded  by  a  gallant  sailor,  Captain  Lambert, 
who  recked  little  of  odds  but  audaciously  offered  battle. 

In  the  light  wind  that  was  blowing,  the  enemy 
proved  the  better  sailer,  and  soon  forged  ahead.  His 
object  was  to  cross  the  bows  of  the  American  ship, 
and  get  in  a  raking  broadside, — the  end  and  aim  of 
most  of  the  naval  manoeuvring  in  those  days  of  wooden 
ships  and  heavy  batteries.  By  skilful  seamanship, 
Bainbridge  warded  off  the  danger;  and  the  fight  con- 


1 64  STORY    OF   OUR   NAVY 

tinued  broadside  to  broadside.  The  firing  on  both 
sides  was  rapid  and  well  directed.  After  half  an  hour 
of  fighting,  the  "  Constitution  "  was  seriously  crippled 
by  a  round  shot,  which  carried  away  her  wheel,  and 
wounded  Bainbridge  by  driving  a  small  copper  bolt 
deep  into  his  thigh.  For  a  moment  it  seemed  as 
though  the  American  ship  was  lost.  Having  no  con 
trol  over  the  rudder,  her  head  fell  off,  her  sails  flapped 
idly  against  the  spars,  and  the  enemy  was  fast  coming 
into  an  advantageous  position.  But,  though  wounded, 
the  indomitable  Yankee  captain  was  equal  to  the  occa 
sion.  Tackle  was  rigged  upon  the  rudder-post  between 
decks,  and  a  crew  of  jackies  detailed  to  work  the  im 
provised  helm.  The  helmsmen  were  far  out  of  ear 
shot  of  the  quarter-deck:  so  a  line  of  midshipmen  was 
formed  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  spot  where  the 
sailors  tugged  at  the  steering-lines. 

"  Hard-a-port !  "  Bainbridge  would  shout  from  his 
station  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  Hard-a-port !  Hard-a-port  I  "  came  the  quick  re 
sponses,  as  the  midshipmen  passed  the  word  along. 
And  so  the  ship  was  steered;  and,  notwithstanding  the 
loss  of  her  wheel,  fairly  out-manoeuvred  her  antagonist. 
The  first  raking  broadside  was  delivered  by  the  "  Con 
stitution,"  and  did  terrible  execution  along  the  gun- 
deck  of  the  English  ship.  The  two  ships  then  ran 
before  the  wind,  exchanging  broadsides  at  a  distance 
of  half  pistol-shot.  At  this  game  the  American  was 
clearly  winning :  so  the  Englishman  determined  to  close 
and  board,  in  the  dashing,  fearless  way  that  had  made 
the  tars  of  Great  Britain  the  terror  of  all  maritime 
peoples.  The  frigate  bore  down  on  the  "  Constitu 
tion,"  and  struck  her  on  the  quarter;  the  long  jib- 
boom  tearing  its  way  through  the  rigging  of  the  Amer 
ican  ship.  But,  while  this  movement  was  being  exe 
cuted,  the  American  gunners  had  not  been  idle;  and 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        165 

the  results  of  their  labors  were  very  evident,  in  the 
rigging  of  the  "  Java."  Her  jib-boom  and  bowsprit 
were  so  shattered  by  shot,  that  they  were  on  the  point 
of  giving  way;  and,  as  the  ships  met,  the  mizzen-mast 
fell,  crashing  through  forecastle  and  main-deck,  crush 
ing  officers  and  sailors  beneath  it  in  the  fall,  and  hurl 
ing  the  topmen  into  the  ocean  to  drown.  The  "  Con 
stitution  "  shot  ahead,  but  soon  wore  and  lay  yard- 
arm  to  yard-arm  with  her  foe.  For  some  minutes 
the  battle  raged  with  desperation.  A  dense  sulphurous 
smoke  hung  about  the  hulls  of  the  two  ships,  making 
any  extended  vision  impossible.  Once  in  a  while  a 
fresher  puff  of  wind,  or  a  change  in  the  position  of 
the  ships,  would  give  the  jackies  a  glimpse  of  their 
enemy,  and  show  fierce  faces  glaring  from  the  open 
ports,  as  the  great  guns  were  drawn  in  for  loading. 
Then  the  gray  pall  of  smoke  fell,  and  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  but  the  carnage  near  at  hand.  The  officers 
on  the  quarter-deck  could  better  judge  of  the  progress 
of  the  fray;  and,  the  marines  stationed  there  took  ad 
vantage  of  every  clear  moment  to  pick  off  some  enemy 
with  a  shot  from  one  of  their  muskets.  High  up 
in  the  tops  of  the  "  Constitution "  were  two  small 
howitzers,  with  which  crews  of  topmen,  under  the 
command  of  midshipmen,  made  lively  play  with  grape 
and  canister  upon  the  crowded  decks  of  the  enemy. 
From  the  cavernous  submarine  depths  of  the  cockpit 
and  magazine,  to  the  tops  of  each  ship,  not  an  idler 
was  to  be  found.  Chaplains,  surgeons,  clerks,  cooks, 
and  waiters — all  were  working  or  fighting  for  the 
honor  of  the  flag  under  which  they  served. 

Again  the  British  determined  to  board;  and  the 
quick,  sharp  notes  of  the  bugle  calling  up  the  boarders 
gave  warning  of  their  intentions.  The  men  in  the 
tops  of  the  American  frigate,  looking  down  from  their 
lofty  station,  could  see  the  crowd  of  boarders  and 


1 66  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

marines  gathered  on  the  forecastle  and  in  the  gang 
ways,  and  could  hear  the  shrill  notes  of  the  boatswain's 
whistle  cheering  them  on.  At  that  moment,  however, 
the  American  fire  raked  the  enemy  with  fearful  effect, 
and  the  volleys  of  musketry  from  the  marines  and  top- 
men  made  such  havoc  among  the  crowded  boarders 
that  the  attempt  was  abandoned.  The  deadly  fire  of 
the  Americans  was  not  slackened.  Captain  Lambert 
was  struck  down,  mortally  wounded;  and  the  com 
mand  fell  upon  Lieutenant  Chads,  who,  though  him 
self  badly  wounded,  continued  the  fight  with  true  Brit 
ish  courage.  Over  the  side  of  the  "  Java  "  hung  the 
wreck  of  her  top-hamper,  which  every  broadside  set 
on  fire.  Yet  the  British  tars  fought  on,  cheering  lustily, 
and  not  once  thinking  of  surrender,  though  they  saw 
their  fore-mast  gone,  their  mizzen-mast  shivered,  even 
the  last  flag  shot  away,  and  the  last  gun  silenced. 

When  affairs  had  reached  this  stage,  the  "  Constitu 
tion,"  seeing  no  flag  flying  on  the  enemy,  hauled  away, 
and  set  about  repairing  her  own  damages.  While  thus 
engaged,  the  main-mast  of  the  "  Java  "  was  seen  to 
go  by  the  board,  and  the  ship  lay  a  hopeless  wreck 
upon  the  water.  After  making  some  slight  repairs, 
Bainbridge  returned  to  take  possession  of  his  prize, 
but,  to  his  surprise,  found  a  jack  still  floating  over  the 
helpless  hulk.  It  was  merely  a  bit  of  bravado,  how 
ever;  for,  as  the  "  Constitution"  ranged  up  alongside, 
the  jack  was  hauled  down. 

The  u  Java  "  proved  to  be  a  rich  prize.  She  was 
one  of  the  best  of  the  English  frigates,  and  had  just 
been  especially  fitted  up  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
governor-general  of  Bombay  and  his  staff,  all  of  whom 
were  then  on  board.  This  added  to  the  regular  num 
ber  of  officers  and  crew  more  than  one  hundred  pris 
oners,  mostly  of  high  rank  in  British  military  and  social 
circles. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        167 

The  boarding  officer  found  the  ship  so  badly  cut  up 
that  to  save  her  was  impossible.  Her  loss  in  men, 
including  her  captain,  Henry  Lambert,  and  five  mid 
shipmen,  was  forty-eight,  together  with  one  hundred 
and  five  wounded,  among  whom  were  many  officers. 
The  "  Constitution  "  had  suffered  much  less  severely, 
having  but  twelve  killed  and  twenty  wounded.  The 
ship  herself  was  but  little  damaged;  her  chief  injury 
being  the  loss  of  her  wheel,  which  was  immediately 
replaced  by  that  of  the  "  Java." 

Captain  Bainbridge  now  found  himself  a  great  dis 
tance  from  home,  with  a  disabled  ship  filled  with  pris 
oners,  many  of  whom  were  wounded.  Even  had  the 
wreck  of  the  "  Java  "  been  less  complete,  it  would 
have  been  hazardous  to  attempt  to  take  her  back  to 
the  United  States  through  the  West  India  waters  that 
swarmed  with  British  vessels.  No  course  was  open 
save  to  take  the  prisoners  aboard  the  "  Constitution," 
and  set  the  torch  to  the  disabled  hulk. 

To  do  this  was  a  work  of  no  little  difficulty.  The 
storm  of  lead  and  iron  that  had  swept  across  the  decks 
of  the  British  frigate  had  left  intact  not  one  of  the 
boats  that  hung  from  the  davits.  The  "  Constitution  " 
had  fared  better;  but,  even  with  her,  the  case  was 
desperate,  for  the  British  cannonade  had  left  her  but 
two  serviceable  boats.  To  transfer  from  the  sinking 
ship  to  the  victorious  frigate  nearly  five  hundred  men, 
over  a  hundred  of  whom  were  wounded,  was  a  serious 
task  when  the  means  of  transfer  were  thus  limited. 

Three  days  the  "  Constitution  "  lay  by  her  defeated 
enemy,  and  hour  after  hour  the  boats  plied  between 
the  two  ships.  The  first  to  be  moved  were  the  wounded. 
Tackle  was  rigged  over  the  side  of  the  "  Java";  and 
the  mangled  sufferers,  securely  lashed  in  their  ham 
mocks,  were  gently  lowered  into  the  waiting  boat,  and 
soon  found  themselves  in  the  sick-bay  of  the  American 


168  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

ship,  where  they  received  the  gentlest  treatment  from 
those  who  a  few  hours  before  sought  only  to  slay 
them.  The  transfer  of  the  wounded  once  accom 
plished,  the  work  proceeded  with  great  rapidity:  and 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  the  "  Constitution  " 
was  filled  with  prisoners;  and  the  "Java,"  a  deserted, 
shattered  hulk,  was  ready  for  the  last  scene  in  the 
drama  of  her  career. 

The  last  boat  left  the  desolate  wreck,  and,  reaching 
the  "  Constitution,"  was  hauled  up  to  the  davits.  The 
side  of  the  American  frigate  next  to  the  abandoned 
ship  was  crowded  with  men,  who  looked  eagerly  across 
the  water.  Through  the  open  portholes  of  the  "  Java," 
a  flickering  gleam  could  be  seen,  playing  fitfully  upon 
the  decks  and  gun-carriages.  The  light  grew  brighter, 
and  sharp-tongued  flames  licked  the  outside  of  the  hull, 
and  set  the  tangled  cordage  in  a  blaze.  With  this 
the  whole  ship  seemed  to  burst  into  fire,  and  lay  toss 
ing,  a  huge  ball  of  flame,  on  the  rising  sea.  When 
the  fire  was  raging  most  fiercely,  there  came  a  terrific 
explosion,  and  the  great  hull  was  lifted  bodily  from 
the  water,  falling  back  shattered  to  countless  bits. 
Guns,  anchors,  and  ironwork  dragged  the  greater  part 
of  the  wreckage  to  the  bottom;  and  when  the  "  Con 
stitution,"  with  all  sail  set,  left  the  spot,  the  captive 
Englishmen,  looking  sadly  back,  could  see  only  a  patch 
of  charred  woodwork  and  cordage  floating  upon  the 
ocean  to  mark  the  burial-place  of  the  sturdy  frigate 
"  Java." 

The  "  Constitution "  made  sail  for  San  Salvador, 
where  the  prisoners  were  landed;  first  giving  their 
paroles  not  to  serve  against  the  "  United  States  "  until 
regularly  exchanged.  Bainbridge  then  took  his  ship 
to  Boston,  where  she  arrived  in  February,  1813. 

The  substitution  of  the  wheel  of  the  "  Java  "  for 
that  of  the  "  Constitution,"  shot  away  in  battle,  has 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        169 

been  alluded  to.  In  his  biography  of  Captain  Bain- 
bridge,  Fenimore  Cooper  relates  a  story  of  interest 
regarding  this  trophy.  It  was  a  year  or  two  after 
peace  was  made  with  England,  in  1815,  that  a  British 
naval  officer  visited  the  u  Constitution,"  then  lying  at 
the  Boston  navy-yard.  The  frigate  had  been  newly 
fitted  out  for  a  cruise  to  the  Mediterranean;  and  an 
American  officer,  with  some  pride,  showed  the  English 
man  over  the  ship,  which  was  then  undoubtedly  the 
finest  of  American  naval  vessels.  After  the  tour  of  the 
ship  had  been  made,  the  host  said,  as  they  stood  chat 
ting  on  the  quarter-deck: 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  her?  " 

"  She  is  one  of  the  finest  frigates,  if  not  the  very 
finest,  I  ever  put  my  foot  aboard  of,"  responded  the 
Englishman;  "but,  as  I  must  find  some  fault,  I'll  just 
say  that  your  wheel  is  one  of  the  clumsiest  things  I 
ever  saw,  and  is  unworthy  of  the  vessel." 

The  American  officer  laughed. 

"  Well,  you  see,"  said  he,  "  when  the  '  Constitution ' 
took  the  '  Java,'  the  former's  wheel  was  shot  out  of 
her.  The  '  Java's '  wheel  was  fitted  on  the  victorious 
frigate,  to  steer  by;  and,  although  we  think  it  as  ugly 
as  you  do,  we  keep  it  as  a  trophy." 

All  criticisms  on  the  wheel  ended  then  and  there. 

The  defeat  of  the  "  Java  "  closed  the  warfare  on 
the  ocean  during  1812.  The  year  ended  with  the 
honors  largely  in  the  possession  of  the  United  States 
navy.  The  British  could  boast  of  the  capture  of  but 
two  armed  vessels, — the  "  Nautilus,"  whose  capture  by 
an  overwhelming  force  we  have  already  noted;  and 
the  little  brig  "  Vixen,"  twelve  guns,  which  Sir  James 
Yeo,  with  the  "  Southampton,"  thirty-two,  had  over 
hauled  and  captured  in  the  latter  part  of  November. 
The  capture  of  the  "  Wasp  "  by  the  "  Poictiers,"  when 
the  American  sloop-of-war  was  cut  up  by  her  action 


170  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

with  the  "  Frolic,"  was  an  occurrence,  which,  however 
unfortunate  for  the  Americans,  reflected  no  particular 
honor  upon  the  British  arms. 

In  opposition  to  this  record,  the  Americans  could 
boast  of  victory  in  four  hard-fought  battles.  In  no 
case  had  they  won  through  any  lack  of  valor  on  the 
part  of  their  antagonists;  for  the  Englishmen  had  not 
sought  to  avoid  the  battle,  and  had  fought  with  the 
dogged  valor  characteristic  of  their  nation.  In  one 
or  two  instances,  it  is  true  that  the  Americans  were 
more  powerful  than  the  foe  whom  they  engaged;  but, 
in  such  cases,  the  injury  inflicted  was  out  of  all  pro 
portion  to  the  disparity  in  size  of  the  combatants.  The 
four  great  actions  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  the  "  Guer- 
riere,"  the  "  Frolic,"  the  "  Macedonian,"  and  the 
"  Java,"  showed  conclusively  that  the  American  blue 
jackets  were  equal  in  courage  to  their  British  oppo 
nents,  and  far  their  superiors  in  coolness,  skill,  dis 
cipline,  and  self-reliance;  and  these  qualities  may  be 
said  to  have  won  the  laurels  for  the  American  navy 
that  were  conceded  to  it  by  all  impartial  observers. 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  War  on  the  Lakes— Building  a  Fresh  Water  Navy—Perry  at 
Put-in-Bay — McDonough  on  Lake  Champlain. 

IN  these  days  of  peace  and  industry  it  is  difficult  to 
think  of  the  picturesque  hills  of  Lake  Champlain,  or 
the  vine-clad  shores  of  Put-in-Bay  reverberating  to 
the  sound  of  cannon,  and  echoing  back  the  cries  of 
infuriated  enemies  fighting  to  the  death.  But  the  War 
of  1812  was  scarcely  declared  when  operations  upon 
our  fresh  water  seas  began.  The  British  held  Canada 
and  the  magnificent  St.  Lawrence  waterway  to  the 
ocean.  Lake  Champlain  and  Lake  George  offered  a 
temptingly  direct  route  to  the  very  middle  of  New 
York.  The  land  all  about  is  mountainous  and  was 
then  densely  wooded,  making  the  progress  of  an  in 
vading  force  by  land  most  difficult.  So,  too,  with 
Lakes  Ontario  and  Erie.  Save  for  the  portage  about 
the  Niagara  cataract,  these  lakes  afforded  a  direct 
water  route  from  the  Canadian  strongholds  to  what 
was  then  the  northwestern  frontier  of  the  United 
States.  As  a  result  of  these  geographical  considera 
tions  two  battles  were  fought  afloat  on  our  inland  seas 
which  were  perhaps  of  as  much  effect  in  determining 
the  outcome  of  the  war  as  any  battle  by  sea  or  land. 
The  name  of  Commodore  Perry  is  writ  large  in  Amer 
ican  history,  while  that  of  Commodore  McDonough, 
who  won  the  equally  decisive  battle  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  deserves  to  be  ranked  with  it. 

When  war  was  declared  the  English  were  vastly 
better  equipped  for  its  prosecution  than  the  Americans. 
On  Lake  Erie  the  English  flag  waved  over  six  men- 


172  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

of-war  with  forty-six  guns;  the  United  States  had  but 
the  "  Oneida,"  with  sixteen.  The  British  were  nearer 
their  base  of  supplies,  with  a  practically  uninterrupted 
water  route  to  the  front,  while  all  American  supplies 
had  to  be  brought  by  land  from  the  head  of  naviga 
tion  on  the  Hudson.  A  picturesque  incident  of  the 
work  of  thus  transporting  supplies  and  ship-building 
was  the  carrying  of  a  monster  hempen  cable,  weighing 
9,600  pounds,  on  the  shoulders  of  two  hundred  men 
from  the  last  safe  point  of  water  carriage  through  the 
woods  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  where  the  warships  were 
being  pushed  to  completion.  Like  a  colossal  centipede 
or  python  the  great  rope  with  its  bearers  wound 
through  the  circuitous  path,  hidden  from  the  British 
ships  that  blocked  the  lake,  until  after  thirty-six  hours 
of  toil  it  was  thrown  down  in  the  street  of  Sackett's 
Harbor  amid  the  sighs  of  relief  of  its  bearers  and  the 
cheers  of  those  who  were  waiting  for  it. 

Looking  back  upon  the  early  days  of  the  war,  one 
is  perplexed  to  understand  how  the  British  ever  per 
mitted  the  Americans  to  build  a  fresh-water  navy. 
They  had  the  force  to  prevent  it,  had  that  force  been 
vigorously  used.  Perhaps  one  reason  was  that  the 
British  ships  were  not  officered  by  practised  navy  offi 
cers,  but  by  merchant  captains  and  militiamen  picked 
up  along  the  Canadian  shore.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the 
only  serious  attack  made  on  the  American  naval  sta 
tions  was  an  attempt  to  destroy  the  "  Oneida  "  at 
Sackett's  Harbor.  That  was  on  a  Sunday  morning  in 
July,  1812. 

At  early  dawn  of  the  day  mentioned,  the  lookout 
reported  five  ships  in  the  offing,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  hailed  the  deck,  to  report  them  to  be  British 
ships-of-war.  The  alarm  quickly  spread  over  the  little 
town.  Puny  though  the  British  fleet  would  have  ap 
peared  upon  the  ocean,  it  was  of  ample  power  to  take 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        173 

the  "  Oneida  "  and  destroy  the  village.  Before  the 
villagers  fairly  understood  their  peril,  a  small  boat 
came  scudding  into  the  harbor  before  the  wind.  It 
bore  a  message  from  the  British  commander,  demand 
ing  that  the  "Oneida"  and  the  "  Lord  Nelson"  (a 
captured  Canadian  vessel)  be  surrendered.  Should 
the  squadron  be  resisted,  he  warned  the  inhabitants 
that  their  town  should  be  burned  to  the  ground. 

Commander  Woolsey,  who  commanded  the  "  Onei 
da,"  was  a  United  States  officer  of  the  regular  service, 
and  a  man  of  courage  and  fertility  of  resource.  Un 
able  to  take  his  vessel  out  into  the  lake,  he  moored 
her  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  in  such  a  way  that 
her  broadside  of  nine  guns  might  be  brought  to  bear 
on  the  enemy.  All  hands  then  set  to  work  getting 
the  other  broadside  battery  ashore;  and,  by  the  aid 
of  the  villagers,  these  guns  were  mounted  on  a  hastily 
thrown  up  redoubt  on  the  shore.  At  the  foot  of  the 
main  street  of  the  village  was  planted  a  queerly  assorted 
battery.  The  great  gun,  on  which  the  hopes  of  the 
Americans  centred,  was  an  iron  thirty-two-pounder, 
which  had  lain  for  years  deeply  embedded  in  the  muddy 
ooze  of  the  lake-shore,  gaining  thereby  the  derisive 
name  of  the  "  Old  Sow."  This  redoubtable  piece  of 
ordnance  was  flanked  on  either  side  by  a  brass  six- 
pounder;  a  pair  of  cannon  that  the  Yankee  sailors  had, 
with  infinite  pains  and  indomitable  perseverance, 
dredged  up  from  the  sunken  hulk  of  a  British  war- 
vessel  that  had  filled  a  watery  grave  some  years.  Two 
brass  nine-pounders  completed  this  novel  armament. 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the 
British  vessels  came  up  within  range.  Alarm  guns  had 
been  firing  from  the  shore  all  the  morning ;  and  by  that 
time  the  village  was  filled  with  militiamen,  who  flocked 
to  the  scene  of  action.  Woolsey,  who  had  taken 
charge  of  the  shore-batteries,  ordered  a  shot  from  the 


174  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

thirty-two  pounder.  The  "  Old  Sow "  spoke  out 
bravely,  but  the  shot  missing,  only  roused  the  enemy 
to  laughter,  which  could  be  heard  on  shore.  The  Brit 
ish,  vessels  then  began  a  vigorous  cannonade,  keeping 
well  out  of  range  of  the  small  guns  on  shore;  although 
so  weak  were  the  American  defences,  that  a  vigorous 
onslaught  by  the  enemy  would  have  quickly  reduced  the 
town  to  submission.  As  it  was,  a  harmless  fire  was 
kept  up  for  about  two  hours.  Not  a  shot  took  effect, 
and  nothing  save  the  noise  and  excitement  of  the  can 
nonading  need  have  deterred  the  good  people  of  Sac- 
kett's  Harbor  from  observing  that  Sundaay  morning 
in  accordance  with  their  usual  Sabbath  customs.  It 
was  reserved  for  one  shot  to  put  an  end  to  this  strange 
engagement.  Just  as  the  artillerists  who  served  the 
iron  thirty-two  pounder  were  loading  the  gun,  a  can 
non-ball  struck  the  ground  near  the  battery.  One  of 
the  Americans  ran,  and,  picking  up  the  spent  ball, 
brought  it  into  the  battery,  saying,  "  I've  been  playing 
ball  with  the  redcoats,  and  have  caught  them  out. 
Let's  see  now  if  they  can  catch  back  again."  So  say 
ing,  he  rammed  the  missile  down  the  muzzle  of  the 
long  thirty-two,  and  sent  it  back  with  deadly  aim.  The 
captured  ball  crashed  into  the  stern  of  the  "  Royal 
George,"  raked  her  from  stem  to  stern,  killing  four 
teen  men,  and  wounding  eighteen  in  its  course.  The 
marksman,  watching  the  course  of  his  shot,  saw  the 
splinters  fly  from  the  deck  of  the  British  ship;  and  the 
Americans  cheered  loudly  for  the  "  Old  Sow  "  as  the 
British  squadron  put  about,  and  left  the  Sackett's  Har 
bor  people  to  celebrate  their  easily  won  victory. 

One  other  sharp  action  occurred  before  Perry's  his 
toric  victory.  Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  Commo 
dore  Chauncey,  a  veteran  naval  officer,  in  general  com 
mand  on  the  Great  Lakes,  had  sent  Lieutenant  Elliott 
to  Lake  Erie,  with  instructions  to  begin  at  once  the 


COMMODORE  PERRY 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        175 

creation  of  a  fleet  by  building  or  purchasing  vessels. 
Elliott  chose  as  the  site  of  his  improvised  navy-yard 
Black  Rock,  a  point  two  miles  below  Buffalo;  and 
there  pushed  ahead  his  work  in  a  way  that  soon  con 
vinced  the  enemy  that,  unless  the  young  officer's  energy 
received  a  check,  British  supremacy  on  Lake  Erie  would 
soon  be  at  an  end.  Accordingly  two  armed  brigs, 
the  "  Caledonia "  and  the  "  Detroit,"  recently  cap 
tured  by  the  British,  came  down  to  put  an  end  to  the 
Yankee  ship-building.  Like  most  of  the  enemy's  ves 
sels  on  the  lakes,  these  two  brigs  were  manned  by 
Canadians,  and  had  not  even  the  advantage  of  a  regu 
lar  naval  commander. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  October,  the  sentries 
on  the  river-side  at  Black  Rock  discovered  the  two 
British  vessels  lying  at  anchor  under  the  guns  of  Fort 
Erie,  a  British  work  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Ni 
agara  River,  that  there  flows  placidly  along,  a  stream 
more  than  a  mile  wide.  Zealous  for  distinction,  and 
determined  to  checkmate  the  enemy  in  their  design, 
Elliott  resolved  to  undertake  the  task  of  cutting  out 
the  two  vessels  from  beneath  the  guns  of  the  British 
fort.  Fortune  favored  his  enterprise.  It  happened 
that  on  that  very  day  a  detachment  of  sailors  from 
the  ocean  had  arrived  at  Black  Rock.  Though  wearied 
by  their  long  overland  journey,  the  jackies  were  ready 
for  the  adventure,  but  had  no  weapons.  In  this  di 
lemma  Elliott  was  forced  to  turn  for  aid  to  the  mili 
tary  authorities,  from  whom  he  obtained  pistols, 
swords,  and  sabres  enough  to  fit  out  his  sailors  for 
the  fray.  With  the  arms  came  a  number  of  soldiers 
and  a  small  party  of  adventurous  citizens,  all  of  whom 
enlisted  under  the  leadership  of  the  adventurous  El 
liott.  In  planning  the  expedition,  the  great  difficulty 
lay  in  getting  rid  of  the  too  numerous  volunteers. 

By   nightfall,    the   preparations    for  the   expedition 


176  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

were  completed.  In  the  underbrush  that  hung  over 
the  banks  of  the  river,  two  large  boats  were  concealed, 
ready  for  the  embarkation.  At  midnight  fifty  men, 
armed  to  the  teeth,  silently  took  their  places  in  each 
of  the  great  barges,  and  pushed  out  upon  the  black 
surface  of  the  river.  All  along  the  bank  were  crowds 
of  eager  watchers,  who  discussed  the  chances  of  success 
with  bated  breath,  lest  the  merest  whisper  should  alarm 
the  British  sentries  on  the  farther  shore.  With  steady 
strokes  of  the  muffled  oars,  the  two  boats  made  their 
way  toward  the  two  brigs  that  could  just  be  seen 
outlined  against  the  sky.  Elliott,  in  the  first  boat,  di 
rected  the  movements  of  his  men,  and  restrained  the 
too  enthusiastic.  So  stealthy  was  the  approach,  that 
the  foremost  boat  was  fairly  alongside  of  the  "  De 
troit  "  before  the  British  took  the  alarm.  Then  the 
quick  hail  of  the  sentry  brought  an  answering  pistol- 
shot  from  Elliott;  and,  amid  volleys  of  musketry,  the 
assailants  clambered  up  the  sides  of  the  brigs,  and  with 
pistol  and  cutlass  drove  the  startled  crew  below.  So 
complete  was  the  surprise,  that  the  British  made  but 
little  resistance;  and  the  cables  of  the  brigs  were  cut, 
sails  spread,  and  the  vessels  under  way,  before  the 
thunder  of  a  gun  from  Fort  Erie  told  that  the  British 
on  shore  had  taken  the  alarm. 

At  the  report  of  the  first  shot  fired,  the  dark  line 
of  the  American  shore  suddenly  blazed  bright  with 
huge  beacon  fires,  while  lanterns  and  torches  were 
waved  from  commanding  points  to  guide  the  adven 
turous  sailors  in  their  navigation  of  the  captured  brigs. 
But  the  victors  were  not  to  escape  unscathed  with  their 
booty.  The  noise  of  the  conflict,  and  the  shouts  of 
the  Americans  on  the  distant  bank  of  the  river,  roused 
the  British  officers  in  the  fort,  and  the  guns  were  soon 
trained  on  the  receding  vessels.  Some  field-batteries 
galloped  along  the  bank,  and  soon  had  their  guns  in 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        177 

a  position  whence  they  could  pour  a  deadly  fire  upon 
the  Americans.  Nor  did  the  spectators  on  the  New 
York  side  of  the  river  escape  unharmed;  for  the  first 
shot  fired  by  the  field-battery  missed  the  brigs,  but 
crossed  the  river  and  struck  down  an  American  officer. 
Almost  unmanageable  in  the  swift  current  and  light 
wind,  the  two  brigs  seemed  for  a  time  in  danger  of 
recapture.  The  "  Caledonia  "  was  run  ashore  under 
the  guns  of  an  American  battery;  but  the  "  Detroit/* 
after  being  relieved  of  the  prisoners,  and  deserted  by 
her  captors,  was  beached  at  a  point  within  range  of 
the  enemy's  fire.  The  British  made  several  determined 
attempts  to  recapture  her,  but  were  beaten  off ;  and,  after 
a  day's  fighting  around  the  vessel,  she  was  set  on  fire 
and  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  The  "  Caledonia," 
however,  remained  to  the  Americans,  and  some 
months  later  did  good  service  against  her  former 
owners. 

The  decisive  battle  on  the  Great  Lakes,  however, 
was  that  fought  at  Put-in-Bay  on  Lake  Erie,  in  which 
the  British  force  was  totally  destroyed  or  captured,  and 
British  power  in  that  section  wholly  shattered.  The 
victory  was  won  by  a  young  naval  officer  altogether 
unknown  to  fame  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  sta 
tioned  at  Newport.  It  was  early  in  the  war  that 
Oliver  Hazard  Perry  wrote  to  Commodore  Chauncey, 
asking  a  commission  to  serve  on  the  lakes.  The  very 
request  showed  the  unusual  character  of  the  man. 
Most  officers  wished  to  serve  on  the  ocean  where  were 
the  finest  frigates,  where  captures  were  many  and  prize- 
money  generous.  With  apparently  prophetic  insight 
Perry  turned  to  the  lakes.  Mail  travelled  but  slowly 
in  those  days.  It  was  four  months  before  he  received 
an  answer  from  Chauncey.  Two  months  more  elapsed 
before  he  received  orders  from  the  Navy  Department. 
Then  in  the  dead  of  winter,  accompanied  only  by  his 


i78  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

brother,  a  boy  in  years,  he  drove  from  Newport  to 
Sackett's  Harbor  in  a  sleigh,  the  journey,  which  now 
could  be  made  in  a  night,  taking  twelve  days. 

On  his  arrival,  Perry  found  that  the  special  service 
for  which  he  was  needed  was  the  command  of  a  naval 
force  on  Lake  Erie.  He  stopped  but  a  short  time 
at  Sackett's  Harbor,  and  then  pressed  on  to  Erie,  the 
base  of  the  naval  operations  on  the  lake  of  the  same 
name.  It  was  late  in  March  when  Perry  arrived;  and 
the  signs  of  spring  already  showed  that  soon  the  lake 
would  be  clear  of  ice,  and  the  struggle  for  its  control 
recommence.  The  young  lieutenant  was  indefatigable 
in  the  labor  of  preparation.  He  urged  on  the  build 
ing  of  vessels  already  begun.  He  arranged  for  the 
purchase  of  merchant  schooners,  and  their  conversion 
into  gunboats.  He  went  to  Pittsburg  for  supplies,  and 
made  a  flying  trip  to  Buffalo  to  join  Chauncey  in  an 
attack  upon  Fort  George  at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara 
River.  All  the  time,  he  managed  to  keep  up  a  con 
stant  fire  of  letters  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and 
to  Chauncey,  begging  for  more  sailors.  By  summer 
time,  he  had  five  vessels  ready  for  service,  but  no  men 
to  man  them.  The  enemy  blockaded  him,  and  he 
dared  not  accept  the  challenge.  In  July  he  wrote  to 
Chauncey:  "The  enemy's  fleet  of  six  sail  are  now  off 
the  bar  of  this  harbor.  What  a  golden  opportunity 
if  we  had  men!  .  .  .  Give  me  men,  sir,  and  I  will 
acquire  both  for  you  and  myself  honor  and  glory  on 
this  lake,  or  perish  in  the  attempt."  Again  he  wrote : 
"  For  God's  sake,  and  yours  and  mine,  send  me  men 
and  officers;  and  I  will  have  them  all  [the  British 
squadron]  in  a  day  or  two."  When  the  men  finally 
did  arrive,  he  was  much  disgusted  with  their  appear 
ance,  pronouncing  them  to  be  "  a  motley  set, — blacks, 
soldiers,  and  boys."  Nevertheless,  this  same  motley 
crew,  headed  by  the  critical  young  officer,  won  a  victory 


.FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS        179 

that  effectually  crushed  the  pretensions  of  the  enemy 
to  the  control  of  Lake  Erie. 

His  crews  having  arrived,  Perry  was  anxious  to  get 
out  upon  the  lake,  and  engage  the  enemy  at  once.  But 
this  course  of  action  was  for  a  long  time  impossible. 
The  flotilla  lay  snugly  anchored  within  the  harbor  of 
Erie,  the  entrance  to  which  was  closed  by  a  bar.  To 
cross  this  bar,  the  ships  would  have  been  obliged  to 
send  all  heavy  ordnance  ashore;  and,  as  the  enemy 
kept  close  watch  outside  the  harbor,  the  American  fleet 
was  practically  blockaded.  For  several  weeks  the 
Americans  were  thus  kept  prisoners,  grumbling  mightily 
at  their  enforced  inaction,  and  longing  for  a  chance 
to  get  at  the  enemy.  One  morning  in  August  word 
was  brought  to  Perry  that  the  blockading  fleet  had  dis 
appeared.  Instantly  all  was  life  and  bustle  in  the 
harbor.  The  crews  of  all  the  vessels  were  ordered 
aboard;  and  the  flotilla  dropped  down  to  the  bar,  in 
tending  to  cross  early  in  the  morning.  At  dawn  the 
movement  was  begun.  The  schooners  and  other  small 
craft  were  easily  taken  outside;  but,  when  it  came  to 
the  turn  of  the  two  gun-brigs,  "  Lawrence  "  and  "  Ni 
agara,"  it  became  evident  that  mechanical  assistance 
was  required.  Accordingly,  a  powerful  "  camel  "  was 
hastily  improvised,  by  the  aid  of  which  the  two  vessels 
were  dragged  across  the  bar.  Hardly  had  the  second 
brig  made  the  passage  in  safety,  when  the  British  fleet 
appeared  in  the  offing.  Tradition  says  that  the  op 
portune  absence  of  the  enemy's  fleet  was  caused  by  a 
public  banquet  to  which  the  citizens  of  Port  Dover  had 
invited  Commodore  Barclay  and  his  officers.  While 
the  dinner  was  going  merrily  on,  the  Americans  were 
hard  at  work,  escaping  from  the  trap  in  which  the 
British  had  left  them.  In  responding  to  a  toast  at 
the  banquet,  Barclay  said,  "  I  expect  to  find  the  Yankee 
brigs  hard  and  fast  on  the  bar  at  Erie  when  I  return, 


i8o  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

in  which  predicament  it  will  be  but  a  small  job  to 
destroy  them."  His  anticipations  were  not  realized; 
for,  on  his  arrival,  he  found  the  entire  squadron  safely 
floating  in  the  deep  water  outside  the  bar. 

By  night  Perry's  flotilla  was  in  readiness  for  cruising, 
and  set  out  immediately  in  pursuit  of  the  foe.  Barclay 
seemed  to  avoid  the  conflict;  and,  after  some  weeks' 
cruising,  the  Americans  cast  anchor  at  Put-in-Bay,  and 
awaited  there  the  appearance  of  the  enemy. 

The  little  flotilla  that  lay  anchored  on  the  placid 
waters  of  the  picturesque  bay  consisted  of  nine  vessels, 
ranging  in  size  from  the  "  Trippe,"  a  puny  sloop  carry 
ing  one  gun,  to  the  "  Lawrence  "  and  u  Niagara, "  brigs 
carrying  each  two  long  twelves  and  eighteen  short 
thirty-twos.  No  very  formidable  armada  was  that  of 
a  handful  of  pigmy  vessels,  commanded  by  a  young 
officer  who  had  never  heard  the  thunderous  cannonade 
of  a  naval  battle,  or  seen  the  decks  of  his  ships  stained 
with  the  blood  of  friends  and  daily  companions.  Yet 
the  work  of  the  little  squadron  saved  the  United  States 
from  invasion,  won  for  the  young  commander  a  never- 
dying  fame,  and  clothed  the  vine-clad  hills,  the  pebbly 
beaches,  and  the  crystal  waters  of  Put-in-Bay  with  a 
wealth  of  proud,  historical  associations. 

Day  after  day  the  vessels  lay  idly  at  their  anchorage, 
and  the  sailors  grew  restless  at  the  long  inactivity. 
Perry  alone  was  patient;  for  to  him  had  come  the 
knowledge  that  the  hostile  fleet  was  getting  short  of 
supplies,  and  would  soon  be  starved  out  of  its  retreat 
at  Maiden.  Knowing  this,  he  spared  no  pains  to  get 
his  men  into  training  for  the  coming  conflict.  They 
were  exercised  daily  at  the  great  guns,  and  put  through 
severe  drills  in  the  use  of  the  cutlass,  in  boarding, 
and  repelling  boarders.  By  constant  drill  and  severe 
discipline,  Perry  had  made  of  the  motley  crew  sent 
him  a  well-drilled  body  of  seamen,  every  man  of  whom 


' 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       181 

had  become  fired  with  the  enthusiasm  of  his  com 
mander. 

As  the  time  passed,  and  the  day  of  battle  drew 
nearer,  Perry's  confidence  in  his  men  increased;  and 
he  looked  upon  the  coming  conflict  as  one  certain  to 
bring  glory  to  his  country.  At  early  dawn  the  jackies 
on  the  ships  could  see  the  slender  form  of  their  com 
mander  perched  upon  the  craggy  heights  of  one  of 
the  islands,  called  to  this  day  "  Perry's  Lookout," 
eagerly  scanning  the  horizon  in  the  direction  of  Mai 
den.  On  the  night  of  September  9,  1813,  the  com 
modore  felt  convinced  that  on  the  next  day  the  British 
would  come  out  to  battle.  Accordingly,  a  conference 
of  captains  was  called  in  the  cabin  of  the  flagship,  and 
each  received  directions  as  to  his  course  of  action  dur 
ing  the  fight.  They  were  urged  to  force  the  fighting 
to  close  quarters.  Said  Perry,  "  Nelson  has  expressed 
my  idea  in  the  words,  '  If  you  lay  your  enemy  along 
side,  you  cannot  be  out  of  your  place/  '  As  the  officers 
were  about  to  depart,  Perry  drew  from  a  locker  a 
large,  square  blue  flag,  on  which  appeared,  in  white 
letters,  the  dying  words  of  the  gallant  Lawrence, 
"  DON'T  GIVE  UP  THE  SHIP."  "  This,"  said  Perry, 
"shall  be  the  signal  for  action;  and  when  it  appears 
at  the  masthead,  remember  your  instructions."  The 
conference  then  ended;  and  the  captains  returned  to 
their  ships  across  the  bay,  silvered  by  the  light  of  the 
moon,  to  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  prepara 
tions  for  the  great  danger  of  the  coming  day. 

Morning  dawned  bright  and  clear,  with  a  light 
breeze  blowing,  that  broke  into  ripples  the  surface  of 
the  land-locked  bay.  The  rosy  light  of  the  rising  sun 
was  just  reddening  the  eastern  horizon,  when,  from  the 
lookout  in  the  foretop  of  the  "  Lawrence,"  came  the 
long-drawn  hail  of  "  Sail,  ho!  "  quickly  repeated  from 
the  other  vessels. 


182  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

Perry  was  already  on  deck.  "  What  does  it  look 
like?"  he  shouted  to  the  lookout. 

"  A  clump  of  square-rigged,  and  fore  and  afters, 
sir,"  was  the  response. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  signals  "  Enemy  in  sight,"  and 
"  Get  under  way,"  were  flying  from  the  masthead  of 
the  flagship;  and  the  merry  piping  of  the  boatswains' 
whistles,  and  the  measured  tramp  of  the  sailors  around 
the  capstans,  told  that  signals  were  observed,  and  were 
being  obeyed. 

The  fleet  was  soon  threading  its  way  through  the 
narrow  channels,  filled  with  islands,  at  the  entrance  to 
the  bay,  and  finally  came  into  line  on  the  open  lake. 
Not  a  cloud  was  in  the  sky.  The  lake  was  calm,  with 
enough  wind  blowing  to  admit  of  manoeuvring,  yet 
gentle  enough  to  be  of  advantage  to  the  schooners  that 
made  up  the  greater  part  of  each  fleet. 

For  some  time  the  Americans  held  back,  manoeuvring 
to  get  the  weather-gauge;  but  Perry's  impatience  for 
the  fray  got  the  better  of  his  caution,  and  he  deter 
mined  to  close  at  once.  His  first  officer  remonstrated, 
saying,  "  Then  you'll  have  to  engage  the  enemy  to  lee 
ward." 

"  I  don't  care,"  responded  the  commodore.  "  Lee 
ward  or  windward,  they  shall  fight  to-day."  Then, 
turning  to  the  quartermaster,  he  called  for  the  battle- 
flag,  which  being  brought,  he  mustered  the  crew  aft, 
and  addressed  them  briefly,  telling  them  of  the  task 
before  them,  and  urging  them  to  fight  bravely  for  the 
victory.  "  My  brave  lads,"  he  concluded,  "  this  flag 
bears  the  last  words  of  Captain  Lawrence.  Shall  I 
hoist  it?" 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir!  "  cried  the  jackies,  in  unison;  and,  as 
the  flag  was  swiftly  run  to  the  masthead,  the  cheers 
of  the  sailors  on  the  deck  of  the  "  Lawrence  "  were 
echoed  from  the  neighboring  vessels,  as  the  white  let- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       183 

ters  showed  boldly  against  the  blue  flag,  bearing  to 
each  commander  the  exhortation,  "  Don't  give  up  the 
ship !  " 

The  British  came  on  gallantly.  Barclay  had  lost 
all  his  diffidence,  and  brought  up  his  vessels  like  a 
veteran.  His  ships  were  kept  close  together;  the  ship 
"  Detroit  "  under  short  sail,  that  the  pigmy  sloop  "  Lit 
tle  Belt "  might  not  be  left  in  the  rear.  The  Americans 
came  down  in  single  file,  headed  by  the  schooner  "  Scor 
pion."  Suddenly  through  the  still  air  rang  out  the 
sharp  notes  of  a  bugle-call  on  the  enemy's  flagship.  It 
was  the  signal  for  action;  and,  as  the  last  notes  died 
away,  the  bands  struck  up  "  Rule,  Britannia."  The 
Americans  answered  with  cheers;  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  cheering,  a  jet  of  smoke  and  fire  spurted  from  the 
side  of  the  "  Detroit,"  and  a  heavy  shot  splashed  into 
the  water  near  the  "  Lawrence,"  while  a  dull,  heavy 
report  came  booming  over  the  water. 

The  battle  was  opened,  but  five  minutes  elapsed  be 
fore  a  second  shot  was  fired.  When  it  did  come,  it 
crashed  through  the  bulwarks  of  the  "  Lawrence,"  and 
sped  across  her  deck,  doing  no  great  damage.  "  Steady, 
lads,  steady !  "  cried  Perry,  from  his  post  on  the  quarter 
deck,  as  he  saw  an  uneasy  stir  among  his  men,  who 
longed  to  return  the  fire.  The  commodore  was  deter 
mined  to  fight  at  close  quarters,  and  hung  out  signals 
for  each  ship  to  choose  its  antagonist,  and  fight  the 
fight  out  for  itself. 

It  was  then  high  noon,  and  the  battle  soon -became 
general.  The  little  schooners  "  Scorpion "  and 
"  Ariel "  pluckily  kept  their  place  in  the  van  of  the 
American  line,  but  the  fire  of  the  enemy  fell  most 
fiercely  upon  the  flagship  "  Lawrence."  No  less  than 
four  vessels  at  one  time  were  grouped  about  the  "  Law 
rence,"  pouring  in  a  destructive  fire,  and  bent  upon 
destroying  the  flagship  and  her  brave  commander;  then 


1 84  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

taking  the  smaller  vessels  in  detail.  The  "  Lawrence  " 
fought  bravely,  but  the  odds  were  too  great.  The 
carronades  with  which  she  was  armed  were  no  match 
for  the  long  guns  of  her  adversaries.  For  two  hours 
the  unequal  combat  raged,  and  no  American  vessel 
came  to  the  aid  of  the  sorely  smitten  flagship.  Amid 
the  hail  of  cannon-balls  and  bullets,  Perry  seemed  to 
bear  a  charmed  life.  He  saw  his  officers  and  men  fall 
ing  all  about  him.  John  Brooks,  the  lieutenant  of 
marines,  fought  by  the  commodore's  side.  While 
speaking  cheerfully  to  the  commodore,  a  cannon-ball 
struck  the  young  lieutenant  on  the  hip,  dashing  him 
across  the  deck  against  the  bulwark,  and  mutilating 
him  so,  that  he  plead  piteously  with  Perry,  imploring 
that  he  might  be  put  out  of  his  misery  with  a  pistol- 
shot.  From  this  awful  spectacle  Perry  turned  to  speak 
to  the  captain  of  a  gun,  when  the  conversation  was 
abruptly  cut  short  by  a  shot  which  killed  the  seaman 
instantly.  Perry  returned  to  the  quarter-deck.  The 
first  lieutenant  came  rushing  up,  his  face  bloody,  and 
his  nose  swelled  to  an  enormous  size  from  a  splinter 
which  had  perforated  it.  "  All  the  officers  in  my  divi 
sion  are  killed,"  he  cried.  "  For  God's  sake,  give  me 
more!"  Perry  sent  some  men  to  his  aid;  but  they 
soon  fell,  and  the  cry  for  more  men  arose  again.  One 
of  the  surgeons  who  served  in  the  cockpit  on  that  dread 
ful  day  states  that,  in  the  midst  of  the  roar  of  battle, 
Perry's  voice  was  heard  calling  down  the  hatchway, 
and  asking  any  surgeon's  mates  who  could  be  spared, 
to  come  on  deck  and  help  work  the  guns.  Several 
went  up;  but  the  appeal  was  soon  repeated,  and  more 
responded.  When  no  more  men  could  be  obtained, 
the  voice  of  the  commodore  took  a  pleading  tone. 
"  Can  any  of  the  wounded  pull  a  rope?  "  said  he;  and 
such  was  his  ascendency  over  the  men,  that  several 
poor  mangled  fellows  dragged  themselves  on  deck, 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        185 

and  lent  their  feeble  strength  to  the  working  of  the 
guns. 

Amid  all  the  carnage,  the  sailors  were  quick  to  notice 
the  lighter  incidents  of  the  fray.  Even  the  cockpit, 
filled  with  the  wounded,  and  reeking  with  blood  that 
dripped  through  the  cracks  in  the  deck  above,  once  re 
sounded  with  laughter  as  hearty  as  ever  greeted  a 
middy's  after-dinner  joke  in  the  steerage.  Lieutenant 
Yarnall  received  a  bad  scalp-wound,  which  fairly 
drenched  his  face  with  blood.  As  he  groped  his  way 
towards  the  cockpit,  he  passed  a  lot  of  hammocks 
stuffed  with  "  cat-tails  "  which  had  been  stowed  on  the 
bulwarks.  The  feathery  down  of  the  "  cat-tails  "  filled 
the  air,  and  settled  thick  upon  the  head  and  face  of 
the  officer,  robbing  his  countenance  of  all  semblance 
to  a  human  face.  As  he  descended  the  ladder  to  the 
cockpit,  his  owl-like  air  roused  the  wounded  to  great 
shouts  of  laughter.  "  The  Devil  has  come  among  us," 
they  cried. 

While  talking  to  his  little  brother,  Perry  to  his  hor 
ror  saw  the  lad  fall  at  his  feet,  dashed  to  the  deck  by 
an  unseen  missile.  The  commodore's  agony  may  be 
imagined;  but  it  was  soon  assuaged,  for  the  boy  was 
only  stunned,  and  was  soon  fighting  again  at  his  post. 
The  second  lieutenant  was  struck  by  a  spent  grape-shot, 
and  fell  stunned  upon  the  deck.  He  lay  there  for  a 
time,  unnoticed.  Perry  raised  him  up,  telling  him 
he  was  not  hurt,  as  no  blood  could  be  seen.  The  lieu 
tenant  put  his  hand  to  his  clothing,  at  the  point  where 
the  blow  had  fallen,  and  discovered  the  shot  lodged 
in  his  coat.  Coolly  putting  it  in  his  pocket,  he  re 
marked,  "You  are  right:  I  am  not  hurt.  But  this  is 
my  shot,"  and  forthwith  returned  to  his  duty. 

It  was  a  strange-looking  body  of  men  that  fought 
at  the  guns  of  the  "Lawrence."  Lean,  angular  Yan 
kee  sailors  from  the  seafaring  communities  of  New 


186  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

England  stood  by  the  side  of  swarthy  negroes,  who, 
with  their  half-naked  black  bodies,  in  the  dense  powder- 
smoke,  seemed  like  fiends  in  pandemonium.  In  the 
rigging  were  stationed  a  number  of  Kentucky  riflemen, 
who  had  volunteered  to  serve  during  the  battle.  The 
buckskin  shirts  and  leggings  gave  an  air  of  incongruity 
to  their  presence  on  a  man-of-war.  Their  unerring 
rifles,  however,  did  brave  service  for  the  cause  of  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  At  the  opening  of  the  action,  two 
tall  Indians,  decked  in  all  the  savage  finery  of  war 
paint  and  feathers,  strode  the  deck  proudly.  But  water 
is  not  the  Indian's  element,  and  the  battle  had  hardly 
begun  when  one  fled  below  in  terror;  the  other  remained 
on  deck,  and  was  killed  early  in  the  action. 

Courageous  and  self-confident  though  the  American 
commander  was,  the  moment  came  when  he  could  no 
longer  disguise  the  fact  that  his  gallant  flagship  was 
doomed  to  destruction  before  the  continuous  and  deadly 
fire  of  her  adversaries.  There  was  but  one  course  of 
action  open,  and  upon  this  he  determined  at  once.  He 
would  transfer  his  flag  to  the  "  Niagara,"  and  from 
the  deck  of  that  vessel  direct  the  movements  of  his 
fleet.  Accordingly,  the  only  uninjured  boat  of  the 
"  Lawrence"  was  lowered;  and  Perry  sprang  into  the 
stern,  followed  by  his  little  brother.  Before  the  boat 
pushed  off,  the  battle-flag  was  thrown  into  her;  and, 
wrapping  it  about  him,  Perry  took  a  standing  position 
in  the  stern,  and  ordered  the  oarsmen  to  give  way. 
He  steered  straight  for  the  "  Niagara,"  through  the 
very  centre  of  the  fight.  The  enemy  quickly  grasped 
the  purpose  of  the  movement,  and  great  guns  and  mus 
kets  were  trained  on  the  little  boat.  Shot  of  all  sizes 
splashed  in  the  water  about  the  boat,  splintered  the 
oars,  and  buried  themselves  in  the  gunwale.  The 
crew  begged  their  commander  to  sit  down,  and  make 
himself  a  less  conspicuous  target  for  the  fire  of  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        187 

enemy;  but  Perry  paid  but  little  attention  to  their  en 
treaties.  Suddenly  the  men  rested  on  the  oars,  and 
the  boat  stopped.  Angrily  the  commodore  demanded 
the  cause  of  the  stoppage,  and  was  told  that  the  men 
refused  to  row  unless  he  sat  down.  With  a  smile  he 
yielded,  and  soon  the  boat  was  alongside  the  "  Ni 
agara."  Perry  sprang  to  the  deck,  followed  by  his 
boat's  crew  and  a  plucky  sailor  who  had  swam  just 
behind  the  boat  across  the  long  stretch  of  water. 
Hardly  a  glance  did  the  commodore  cast  at  the  ship 
which  he  had  left,  but  bent  all  his  faculties  to  taking 
the  new  flagship  into  the  battle. 

The  "Niagara"  was  practically  a  fresh  ship;  for, 
up  to  this  time,  she  had  held  strangely  aloof  from  the 
battle.  Now  all  was  to  be  changed.  The  battle-flag 
went  to  her  masthead;  and  she  plunged  into  the  thick 
of  the  fight,  striking  thunderous  blows  at  every  ship 
she  encountered.  As  she  passed  the  American  lines, 
the  sailors  greeted  with  cheers  their  gallant  commander. 
The  crippled  "  Lawrence,"  an  almost  helpless  hulk, 
left  far  behind,  was  forced  to  strike  her  flag;  although 
her  crew  protested  loudly,  crying  out,  "  Sink  the  ship, 
and  let  us  go  down  with  her."  But  the  conquered 
vessel  was  not  destined  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  her 
enemies.  Already  the  sight  of  their  commodore  on 
a  fresh  vessel  stimulated  the  American  tars;  so  that  in 
half  an  hour  the  British  line  was  broken,  their  ships 
cut  to  pieces,  and  the  "  Detroit,"  their  flagship,  a  prize 
to  the  "  Niagara."  A  white  handkerchief  was  waved 
at  the  end  of  a  pike  by  one  of  the  crew  of  the  "  Princess 
Charlotte."  The  firing  stopped,  the  flag  was  again 
run  up  to  the  masthead  of  the  "  Lawrence,"  while  a 
few  feeble  cheers  came  faintly  over  the  water  from  the 
remnant  of  her  crew. 

The  dense  clouds  of  smoke  blowing  away,  Perry 
saw,  by  the  disposition  of  his  squadron,  that  the  victory 


188  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

was  secure.  Hastily  catching  off  his  navy-cap,  he  laid 
upon  it  a  sheet  of  paper  torn  from  an  old  letter,  and 
wrote  to  General  Harrison  the  famous  dispatch,  "  We 
have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours, — two  ships,  two 
brigs,  one  schooner,  and  one  sloop" 

Then,  with  true  chivalry,  he  determined  that  to  his 
flagship  "  Lawrence,'7  that  had  so  stoutly  borne  the 
brunt  of  battle,  should  belong  the  honor  of  receiving 
the  British  captains,  when  they  came  to  surrender  their 
vessels.  He  returned  to  the  "Lawrence";  but  the 
scene  there  was  such  that  even  the  excitement  of  victory 
could  raise  no  feelings  of  exultation  in  his  breast.  He 
saw  on  every  side  the  bodies  of  officers  with  whom, 
but  the  night  before,  he  had  dined  in  perfect  health. 
The  decks  were  red  with  blood,  and  from  the  cockpit 
arose  the  groans  of  the  wounded. 

After  the  formal  surrender,  to  make  which  the  offi 
cers  picked  their  way  over  the  deck  covered  with  slain 
to  the  quarter-deck,  the  work  of  burying  the  dead  of 
both  squadrons  was  begun.  It  was  about  sundown 
that  the  sad  ceremonies  were  held;  and,  as  the  deep 
tones  of  the  chaplains  reading  the  burial-service  arose 
upon  the  evening  air,  the  dull,  mournful  splashing  of 
heavy  bodies  in  the  water  told  that  the  last  scene  in 
the  great  victory  was  drawing  to  an  end. 

After  this  glorious  victory  the  war  languished  on 
the  lakes;  indeed,  on  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  it  was 
virtually  closed,  nothing  more  occurring  except  a  few 
raids  and  some  futile  challenges  to  battle  between 
Chauncey  and  Sir  James  Yeo.  But  almost  a  year  to 
a  day  after  the  Battle  of  Put-in-Bay  a  second  victory 
was  won  for  the  American  arms  on  Lake  Champlain 
— a  victory  which  naval  authorities  agree  was  no  less 
notable,  no  less  heroic,  than  that  of  Perry. 

In  the  northeast  corner  of  New  York  State,  and 
slightly  overlapping  the  Canada  line,  lies  Lake  Cham- 


u 
<j 

^ 

g  ^ 

?  I 

Q     -S 
5Z    ^ 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        189 

plain, — a  picturesque  sheet  of  water,  narrow,  and 
dotted  with  wooded  islands.  From  the  northern  end 
of  the  lake  flows  the  Richelieu  River,  which  follows 
a  straight  course  through  Canada  to  the  St.  Lawrence, 
into  which  it  empties.  The  long,  navigable  waterway 
thus  open  from  Canada  to  the  very  heart  of  New  York 
was  to  the  British  a  most  tempting  path  for  an  in 
vading  expedition.  By  the  shore  of  the  lake  a  road 
wound  along;  thus  smoothing  the  way  for  a  land  force, 
whose  advance  might  be  protected  by  the  fire  of  the 
naval  force  that  should  proceed  up  the  lake.  Naturally, 
so  admirable  an  international  highway  early  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  military  authorities  of  both  bel 
ligerents;  and,  while  the  British  pressed  forward  their 
preparations  for  an  invading  expedition,  the  Americans 
hastened  to  make  such  arrangements  as  should  give 
them  control  of  the  lake.  Her  European  wars,  how 
ever,  made  so  great  a  demand  for  soldiers  upon  Great 
Britain,  that  not  until  1814  could  she  send  to  America 
a  sufficient  force  to  undertake  the  invasion  of  the 
United  States  from  the  north.  In  the  spring  of  that 
year,  a  force  of  from  ten  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand 
troops,  including  several  thousand  veterans  who  had 
served  under  Wellington,  were  massed  at  Montreal; 
and  in  May  a  move  was  made  by  the  British  to  get 
control  of  the  lake,  before  sending  their  invading  forces 
into  New  York.  The  British  naval  force  already  in 
the  Richelieu  River,  and  available  for  service,  consisted 
of  a  brig,  two  sloops,  and  twelve  or  fourteen  gunboats. 
The  American  flotilla  included  a  large  corvette,  a 
schooner,  a  small  sloop,  and  ten  gunboats,  or  galleys, 
propelled  with  oars.  Seeing  that  the  British  were 
preparing  for  active  hostilities,  the  Americans  began 
to  build,  with  all  possible  speed,  a  large  brig;  a  move 
which  the  enemy  promptly  met  by  pushing  forward 
with  equal  energy  the  construction  of  a  frigate.  While 


1 90  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

the  new  vessels  were  on  the  stocks,  an  irregular  warfare 
was  carried  on  by  those  already  in  commission.  At 
the  opening  of  the  season,  the  American  vessels  lay 
in  Otter  Creek;  and,  just  as  they  were  ready  to  leave 
port,  the  enemy  appeared  off  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
with  a  force  consisting  of  the  brig  "  Linnet  "  and  eight 
or  ten  galleys.  The  object  of  the  British  was  to  so 
obstruct  the  mouth  of  the  creek  that  the  Americans 
should  be  unable  to  come  out.  With  this  end  in  view, 
they  had  brought  two  sloops  laden  with  stones,  which 
they  intended  to  sink  in  the  narrow  channel.  But, 
luckily,  the  Americans  had  thrown  up  earthworks  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river;  and  a  party  of  sailors 
so  worked  the  guns,  that,  after  much  manoeuvring,  the 
British  were  forced  to  retire  without  effecting  their 
purpose. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  the  Americans  launched 
their  new  brig,  the  "Eagle";  and  the  little  squadron 
put  out  at  once  into  the  lake,  under  command  of  Cap 
tain  Thomas  Macdonough.  Eight  days  later,  the 
British  got  their  new  ship,  the  "  Confiance,"  into  the 
water.  She  possessed  one  feature  new  to  American 
naval  architecture, — a  furnace  in  which  to  heat  cannon- 
balls. 

By  this  time  (September,  1814)  the  invading  column 
of  British  veterans,  eleven  thousand  strong,  had  begun 
its  march  into  New  York  along  the  west  shore  of  the 
lake.  Two  thousand  Americans  only  could  be  gath 
ered  to  dispute  their  progress;  and  these,  under  the 
command  of  Brigadier-General  Macomb,  were  gath 
ered  at  Plattsburg.  To  this  point,  accordingly,  Mac 
donough  took  his  fleet,  and  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
enemy;  knowing  that  if  he  could  beat  back  the  fleet 
of  the  British,  their  land  forces,  however  powerful, 
would  be  forced  to  cease  their  advance.  The  fleet 
that  he  commanded  consisted  of  the  flagship  "  Sara- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        191 

toga,"  carrying  eight  long  twenty-four-pounders,  six 
forty-two-pound,  and  twelve  thirty-two-pound  carron- 
ades;  the  brig  "  Eagle,"  carrying  eight  long  eighteens, 
and  twelve  thirty-two-pound  carronades;  schooner  "  Ti- 
conderoga,"  with  eight  long  twelve-pounders,  four  long 
eighteen-pounders,  and  five  thirty-two-pound  carron 
ades;  sloop  "  Preble,"  with  seven  long  nines;  and  ten 
galleys.  The  commander  who  ruled  over  this  fleet 
was  a  man  still  in  his  twenty-ninth  year.  The  success 
ful  battles  of  the  War  of  1812  were  fought  by  young 
officers,  and  the  battle  of  Lake  Champlain  was  no 
exception  to  the  rule. 

The  British  force  which  came  into  battle  with  Mac- 
donough's  fleet  was  slightly  superior.  It  was  headed 
by  the  flagship  "  Confiance,"  a  frigate  of  the  class  of 
the  United  States  ship  "  Constitution,"  carrying  thirty 
long  twenty-fours,  a  long  twenty-four-pounder  on  a 
pivot,  and  six  thirty-two  or  forty-two-pound  carronades. 
The  other  vessels  were  the  "  Linnet,"  a  brig  mounting 
sixteen  long  twelves;  and  the  "  Chubb  "  and  u  Finch  " 
(captured  from  the  Americans  under  the  names  of 
"Growler"  and  "Eagle"), — sloops  carrying  respec 
tively  ten  eighteen-pound  carronades  and  one  long  six; 
and  six  eighteen-pound  carronades,  four  long  sixes,  and 
one  short  eighteen.  To  these  were  added  twelve  gun 
boats,  with  varied  armaments,  but  each  slightly  heavier 
than  the  American  craft  of  the  same  class. 

The  nth  of  September  had  been  chosen  by  the 
British  for  the  combined  land  and  water  attack  upon 
Plattsburg.  With  the  movements  of  the  land  forces, 
this  narrative  will  not  deal.  The  brunt  of  the  conflict 
fell  upon  the  naval  forces,  and  it  was  the  success  of 
the  Americans  upon  the  water  that  turned  the  faces 
of  the  British  invaders  back  toward  Canada. 

The  village  of  Plattsburg  stands  upon  the  shore  of 
a  broad  bay  which  communicates  with  Lake  Champlain 


i92  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

by  an  opening  a  mile  and  a  half  wide,  bounded  upon 
the  north  by  Cumberland  Head,  and  on  the  south  by 
Crab  Island.  In  this  bay,  about  two  miles  from  the 
western  shore,  Macdonough's  fleet  lay  anchored  in 
double  line,  stretching  north  and  south.  The  four 
large  vessels  were  in  the  front  rank,  prepared  to  meet 
the  brunt  of  the  conflict;  while  the  galleys  formed  a 
second  line  in  the  rear.  The  morning  of  the  day  of 
battle  dawned  clear,  with  a  brisk  northeast  wind  blow 
ing.  The  British  were  stirring  early,  and  at  daybreak 
weighed  anchor  and  came  down  the  lake.  Across  the 
low-lying  isthmus  that  connected  Cumberland  Head 
with  the  mainland,  the  Americans  could  see  their  ad 
versaries'  top-masts  as  they  came  down  to  do  battle. 
At  this  sight,  Macdonough  called  his  officers  about  him, 
and,  kneeling  upon  the  quarter-deck,  besought  Divine 
aid  in  the  conflict  so  soon  to  come.  When  the  little 
group  rose  from  their  knees,  the  leading  ship  of  the 
enemy  was  seen  swinging  round  Cumberland  Head; 
and  the  men  went  to  their  quarters  to  await  the  fiery 
trial  that  all  knew  was  impending. 

The  position  of  the  American  squadron  was  such 
that  the  British  were  forced  to  attack  u  bows  on,"  thus 
exposing  themselves  to  a  raking  fire.  By  means  of 
springs  on  their  cables,  the  Americans  were  enabled  to 
keep  their  broadsides  to  the  enemy,  and  thus  improve, 
to  the  fullest,  the  advantage  gained  by  their  position. 
The  British  came  on  gallantly,  and  were  greeted  by 
four  shots  from  the  long  eighteens  of  the  "  Eagle," 
that  had  no  effect.  But,  at  the  sound  of  the  cannon, 
a  young  game-cock  that  was  running  at  large  on  the 
"  Saratoga  "  flew  upon  a  gun,  flapped  his  wings,  and 
crowed  thrice,  with  so  lusty  a  note  that  he  was  heard 
far  over  the  waters.  The  American  seamen,  thus 
roused  from  the  painful  reverie  into  which  the  bravest 
fall  before  going  into  action,  cheered  lustily,  and  went 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       193 

into  the  fight,  encouraged  as  only  sailors  could  be  by 
the  favorable  omen. 

Soon  after  the  defiant  game-cock  had  thus  cast  down 
the  gage  of  battle,  Macdonough  sighted  and  fired  the 
first  shot  from  one  of  the  long  twenty-four-pounders 
of  the  "  Saratoga."  The  heavy  ball  crashed  into  the 
bow  of  the  "  Confiance,"  and  cut  its  way  aft,  killing 
and  wounding  several  men,  and  demolishing  the  wheel. 
Nothing  daunted,  the  British  flagship  came  on  grandly, 
making  no  reply,  and  seeking  only  to  cast  anchor  along 
side  the  "  Saratoga, "  and  fight  it  out  yard-arm  to  yard- 
arm.  But  the  fire  of  the  Americans  was  such  that  she 
could  not  choose  her  distance;  but  after  having  been 
badly  cut  up,  with  both  her  port  anchors  shot  away, 
was  forced  to  anchor  at  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  But  her  anchor  had  hardly  touched  bottom, 
when  she  suddenly  flashed  out  a  sheet  of  flames,  as  her 
rapid  broadsides  rung  out  and  her  red-hot  shot  sped 
over  the  water  toward  the  American  flagship.  Her 
first  broadside  killed  or  wounded  forty  of  the  Amer 
icans;  while  many  more  were  knocked  down  by  the 
shock,  but  sustained  no  further  injury.  So  great  was 
the  carnage,  that  the  hatches  were  opened,  and  the  dead 
bodies  passed  below,  that  the  men  might  have  room 
to  work  the  guns.  Among  the  slain  was  Mr.  Gamble, 
the  first  lieutenant,  who  was  on  his  knees  sighting  a 
gun,  when  a  shot  entered  the  port,  split  the  quoin, 
drove  a  great  piece  of  metal  against  his  breast,  and 
stretched  him  dead  upon  the  deck  without  breaking 
his  skin.  By  a  singular  coincidence,  fifteen  minutes 
later  a  shot  from  one  of  the  "  Saratoga's  "  guns  struck 
the  muzzle  of  a  twenty-four  on  the  "  Confiance,"  and, 
dismounting  it,  hurled  it  against  Captain  Downie's 
groin,  killing  him  instantly  without  breaking  the  skin; 
a  black  mark  about  the  size  of  a  small  plate  was  the 
sole  visible  injury. 


i94  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

In  the  meantime,  the  smaller  vessels  had  become  en 
gaged,  and  were  fighting  with  no  less  courage  than  the 
flagships.  The  "  Chubb  "  had  early  been  disabled  by 
a  broadside  from  the  "  Eagle/'  and  drifted  helplessly 
under  the  guns  of  the  "  Saratoga."  After  receiving 
a  shot  from  that  vessel,  she  struck,  and  was  taken  pos 
session  of  by  Midshipman  Platt,  who  put  off  from  the 
flagship  in  an  open  boat,  boarded  the  prize,  and  took 
her  into  Plattsburg  Bay,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Saranac. 
More  than  half  her  people  were  killed  or  wounded 
during  the  short  time  she  was  in  the  battle.  The 
"  Linnet,"  in  the  meantime,  had  engaged  the  "  Eagle," 
and  poured  in  her  broadsides  with  such  effect  that  the 
springs  on  the  cables  of  the  American  were  cut  away, 
and  she  could  no  longer  bring  her  broadsides  to  bear. 
Her  captain  therefore  cut  his  cables,  and  soon  gained 
a  position  from  which  he  could  bring  his  guns  to  bear 
upon  the  "  Confiance."  The  "  Linnet "  thereupon 
dashed  in  among  the  American  gunboats,  and,  driving 
them  off,  commenced  a  raking  fire  upon  the  "  Sara 
toga."  The  "  Finch,"  meanwhile,  had  ranged  gal 
lantly  up  alongside  the  "  Ticonderoga,"  but  was  sent 
out  of  the  fight  by  two  broadsides  from  the  American, 
She  drifted  helplessly  before  the  wind,  and  soon 
grounded  near  Crab  Island.  On  the  island  was  a 
hospital,  and  an  abandoned  battery  mounting  one  six- 
pound  gun.  Some  of  the  convalescent  patients,  seeing 
the  enemy's  vessel  within  range,  opened  fire  upon  her 
from  the  battery,  and  soon  forced  her  to  haul  down 
her  flag.  Nearly  half  her  crew  were  killed  or  wounded. 
Almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  United  States  sloop 
"  Preble  "  was  forced  out  of  the  fight  by  the  British 
gunboats,  that  pressed  so  fiercely  upon  her  that  she 
cut  her  cables  and  drifted  inshore. 

The  "  Ticonderoga  "  fought  a  gallant  fight  through 
out.  After  ridding  herself  of  the  "  Finch,"  she  had 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        195 

a  number  of  the  British  gunboats  to  contend  with;  and 
they  pressed  forward  to  the  attack  with  a  gallantry 
that  showed  them  to  be  conscious  of  the  fact  that,  if 
this  vessel  could  be  carried,  the  American  line  would 
be  turned,  and  the  day  won  by  the  English.  But  the 
American  schooner  fought  stubbornly.  Her  gallant 
commander,  Lieutenant  Cassin,  walked  up  and  down 
the  taffrail,  heedless  of  the  grape  and  musket-balls  that 
whistled  past  his  head,  pointing  out  to  the  gunners  the 
spot  whereon  to  train  the  guns,  and  directing  them  to 
load  with  canister  and  bags  of  bullets  when  the  enemy 
came  too  near.  The  gunners  of  the  schooner  were 
terribly  hampered  in  their  work  by  the  lack  of  matches 
for  the  guns;  for  the  vessel  was  new,  and  the  absence 
of  these  very  essential  articles  was  unnoticed  until  too 
late.  The  guns  of  one  division  were  fired  throughout 
the  fight  by  Hiram  Paulding,  a  sixteen-year-old-mid- 
shipman,  who  flashed  his  pistol  at  the  priming  of  the 
guns  as  soon  as  aim  was  taken.  When  no  gun  was 
ready  for  his  services,  he  rammed  a  ball  into  his  weapon 
and  discharged  it  at  the  enemy.  The  onslaught  of 
the  British  was  spirited  and  determined.  Often  they 
pressed  up  within  a  boat-hook's  length  of  the  schooner, 
only  to  be  beaten  back  by  her  merciless  fire.  Some 
times  so  few  were  left  alive  in  the  galleys  that  they 
could  hardly  man  the  oars  to  pull  out  of  the  fight. 
In  this  way  the  "  Ticonderoga  "  kept  her  enemies  at 
bay  while  the  battle  was  being  decided  between  the 
"  Saratoga  "  and  the  "  Confiance." 

For  it  was  upon  the  issue  of  the  conflict  between  these 
two  ships  that  victory  or  defeat  depended.  Each  had 
her  ally  and  satellite.  Under  the  stern  of  the  "  Sara 
toga  "  lay  the  "  Linnet,"  pouring  in  raking  broadsides. 
The  "  Confiance,"  in  turn,  was  suffering  from  the  well- 
directed  fire  of  the  "Eagle."  The  roar  of  the  ar 
tillery  was  unceasing,  and  dense  clouds  of  gunpowder- 


196  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

smoke  hid  the  warring  ships  from  the  eyes  of  the 
eager  spectators  on  shore.  The  "  Confiance  "  was  un 
fortunate  in  losing  her  gallant  captain  early  in  the 
action,  while  Macdonough  was  spared  to  fight  his  ship 
to  the  end.  His  gallantry  and  activity,  however,  led 
him  to  expose  himself  fearlessly;  and  twice  he  nar 
rowly  escaped  death.  He  worked  like  a  common 
sailor,  loading  and  firing  a  favorite  twenty-four-pound 
gun;  and  once,  while  on  his  knees,  sighting  the  piece, 
a  shot  from  the  "  Confiance  "  cut  in  two  the  spanker- 
boom,  a  great  piece  of  which  fell  heavily  upon  the 
captain's  head,  stretching  him  senseless  upon  the  deck. 
He  lay  motionless  for  two  or  three  minutes,  and  his 
men  mourned  him  as  dead;  but  suddenly  his  activity 
returned,  and  he  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  was  soon  again 
in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  In  less  than  five  minutes 
the  cry  again  arose,  that  the  captain  was  killed.  He 
had  been  standing  at  the  breach  of  his  favorite  cannon, 
when  a  round  shot  took  off  the  head  of  the  captain  of 
the  gun,  and  dashed  it  with  terrific  force  into  the  face 
of  Macdonough,  who  was  driven  across  the  deck,  and 
hurled  against  the  bulwarks.  He  lay  an  instant,  cov 
ered  with  the  blood  of  the  slain  man;  but,  hearing  his 
men  cry  that  he  was  killed,  he  rushed  among  them, 
to  cheer  them  on  with  his  presence. 

And,  indeed,  at  this  moment  the  crew  of  the  "  Sara 
toga  "  needed  the  presence  of  their  captain  to  cheer 
them  on  to  further  exertion.  The  red-hot  shot  of  the 
"  Confiance  "  had  twice  set  fire  to  the  American  ship. 
The  raking  fire  from  the  "  Linnet  "  had  dismounted 
carronades  and  long  guns  one  by  one,  until  but  a  single 
serviceable  gun  was  left  in  the  starboard  battery.  A 
too  heavy  charge  dismounted  this  piece,  and  threw  it 
down  the  hatchway,  leaving  the  frigate  without  a  single 
gun  bearing  upon  the  enemy.  In  such  a  plight  the 
hearts  of  the  crew  might  well  fail  them.  But  Mac- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       197 

donough  was  ready  for  the  emergency.  He  still  had 
his  port  broadside  untouched,  and  he  at  once  set  to 
work  to  swing  the  ship  round  so  that  this  battery  could 
be  brought  to  bear.  An  anchor  was  let  fall  astern, 
and  the  whole  ship's  company  hauled  in  on  the  hawser, 
swinging  the  ship  slowly  around.  It  was  a  dangerous 
manoeuvre;  for,  as  the  ship  veered  round,  her  stern 
was  presented  to  the  "  Linnet,"  affording  an  oppor 
tunity  for  raking,  which  the  gunners  on  that  plucky 
little  vessel  immediately  improved.  But  patience  and 
hard  pulling  carried  the  day;  and  gradually  the  heavy 
frigate  was  turned  sufficiently  for  the  after  gun  to  bear, 
and  a  gun's  crew  was  at  once  called  from  the  hawsers 
to  open  fire.  One  by  one  the  guns  swung  into  position, 
and  soon  the  whole  broadside  opened  with  a  roar. 

Meanwhile  the  "  Confiance "  had  attempted  the 
same  manoeuvre.  But  her  anchors  were  badly  placed; 
and,  though  her  people  worked  gallantly,  they  failed  to 
get  the  ship  round.  She  bore  for  some  time  the  effect 
ive  fire  from  the  "  Saratoga's  "  fresh  broadside,  but, 
finding  that  she  could  in  no  way  return  the  fire,  struck 
her  flag,  two  hours  and  a  quarter  after  the  battle  com 
menced.  Beyond  giving  a  hasty  cheer,  the  people  of 
the  "  Saratoga  "  paid  little  attention  to  the  surrender 
of  their  chief  enemy,  but  instantly  turned  their  guns 
upon  the  "  Linnet."  In  this  combat  the  "  Eagle  " 
could  take  no  part,  and  the  thunder  of  her  guns  died 
away.  Farther  down  the  bay,  the  "  Ticonderoga  " 
had  just  driven  away  the  last  of  the  British  galleys ;  so 
that  the  "  Linnet  "  now  alone  upheld  the  cause  of  the 
enemy.  She  was  terribly  outmatched  by  her  heavier 
foe,  but  her  gallant  Captain  Pring  kept  up  a  desperate 
defence.  Her  masts  and  rigging  were  hopelessly  shat 
tered;  and  no  course  was  open  to  her,  save  to  surrender, 
or  fight  a  hopeless  fight.  Captain  Pring  sent  off  a 
lieutenant,  in  an  open  boat,  to  ascertain  the  condition 


198  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

of  the  "  Confiance."  The  officer  returned  with  the 
report  that  Captain  Downie  was  killed,  and  the  frigate 
terribly  cut  up;  and  as  by  this  time  the  water,  pouring 
in  the  shot-holes  in  the  "  Linnet's  "  hull,  had  risen  a 
foot  above  the  lower  deck,  her  flag  was  hauled  down, 
and  the  battle  ended  in  a  decisive  triumph  for  the 
Americans. 

Terrible  was  the  carnage,  and  many  and  strange  the 
incidents,  of  this  most  stubbornly  contested  naval  battle. 
All  of  the  prizes  were  in  sinking  condition.  In  the 
hull  of  the  "  Confiance  "  were  a  hundred  and  five  shot- 
holes,  while  the  "  Saratoga  "  was  pierced  by  fifty-five. 
Not  a  mast  that  would  bear  canvas  was  left  standing  in 
the  British  fleet;  those  of  the  flagship  were  splintered 
like  bundles  of  matches,  and  the  sails  torn  to  rags.  On 
most  of  the  enemy's  vessels,  more  than  half  of  the 
crews  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  loss  on  the  British 
side  probably  aggregated  three  hundred.  Midship 
man  William  Lee  of  the  u  Confiance "  wrote  home 
after  the  battle,  "  The  havoc  on  both  sides  was  dread 
ful.  I  don't  think  there  are  more  than  five  of  our 
men,  out  of  three  hundred,  but  what  are  killed  or 
wounded.  Never  was  a  shower  of  hail  so  thick  as  the 
shot  whistling  about  our  ears.  Were  you  to  see  my 
jacket,  waistcoat,  and  trousers,  you  would  be  astonished 
to  know  how  I  escaped  as  I  did;  for  they  are  literally 
torn  all  to  rags  with  shot  and  splinters.  The  upper 
part  of  my  hat  was  also  shot  away.  There  is  one  of 
the  marines  who  was  in  the  Trafalgar  action  with 
Lord  Nelson,  who  says  it  was  a  mere  flea-bite  in  com 
parison  with  this." 

The  Americans,  though  victorious,  had  suffered 
greatly.  Their  loss  amounted  to  about  two  hundred 
men.  The  "  Saratoga  "  had  been  cut  up  beyond  the 
possibility  of  repair.  Her  decks  were  covered  with 
dead  and  dying.  The  shot  of  the  enemy  wrought  ter- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        199 

rible  havoc  in  the  ranks  of  the  American  officers.  Lieu 
tenant  Stansbury  of  the  "  Ticonderoga  "  suddenly  dis 
appeared  in  the  midst  of  the  action;  nor  could  any 
trace  of  him  be  found,  until,  two  days  later,  his  body, 
cut  nearly  in  two  by  a  round  shot,  rose  from  the  waters 
of  the  lake.  Lieutenant  Vallette  of  the  "  Saratoga  " 
was  knocked  down  by  the  head  of  a  sailor,  sent  flying 
by  a  cannon-ball.  Some  minutes  later  he  was  stand 
ing  on  a  shot-box  giving  orders,  when  a  shot  took  the 
box  from  beneath  his  feet,  throwing  him  heavily  upon 
the  deck.  Mr.  Brum,  the  master,  a  veteran  man-o'- 
war's  man,  was  struck  by  a  huge  splinter,  which  knocked 
him  down,  and  actually  stripped  every  rag  of  clothing 
from  his  body.  He  was  thought  to  be  dead,  but  soon 
reappeared  at  his  post,  with  a  strip  of  canvas  about 
his  waist,  and  fought  bravely  until  the  end  of  the  action. 
Some  days  before  the  battle,  a  gentleman  of  Oswego 
gave  one  of  the  sailors  a  glazed  tarpaulin  hat,  of  the 
kind  then  worn  by  seamen.  A  week  later  the  sailor 
reappeared,  and,  handing  him  the  hat  with  a  semi 
circular  cut  in  the  crown  and  brim,  made  while  it  was 
on  his  head  by  a  cannon-shot,  remarked  calmly,  "  Look 
here,  Mr.  Sloane,  how  the  damned  John  Bulls  have 
spoiled  my  hat!  " 

The  last  British  flag  having  been  hauled  down,  an 
officer  was  sent  to  take  possession  of  the  "  Confiance." 
In  walking  along  her  gun-deck,  he  accidentally  ran 
against  a  ratline,  by  which  one  of  her  starboard  guns 
was  discharged.  At  this  sound,  the  British  galleys  and 
gunboats,  which  had  been  lying  quietly  with  their  en 
signs  down,  got  out  oars  and  moved  off  up  the  lake. 
The  Americans  had  no  vessels  fit  for  pursuing  them, 
and  they  were  allowed  to  escape.  In  the  afternoon 
the  British  officers  came  to  the  American  flagship  to 
complete  the  surrender.  Macdonough  met  them 
courteously;  and,  on  their  offering  their  swords,  put 


200  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

them  back,  saying,  "  Gentlemen,  your  gallant  conduct 
makes  you  worthy  to  wear  your  weapons.  Return 
them  to  their  scabbords."  By  sundown  the  surrender 
was  complete,  and  Macdonough  sent  off  to  the  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy  a  dispatch,  saying,  "  Sir, — The  Al 
mighty  has  been  pleased  to  grant  us  a  signal  victory 
on  Lake  Champlain,  in  the  capture  of  one  frigate,  one 
brig,  and  two  sloops-of-war  of  the  enemy." 

Some  days  later,  the  captured  ships,  being  beyond 
repair,  were  taken  to  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  scuttled. 
Some  of  the  guns  were  found  to  be  still  loaded;  and, 
in  drawing  the  charges,  one  gun  was  found  with  a 
canvas  bag  containing  two  round  shot  rammed  home, 
and  wadded,  without  any  powder;  another  gun  con 
tained  two  cartridges  and  no  shot;  and  a  third  had  a 
wad  rammed  down  before  the  powder,  thus  effectually 
preventing  the  discharge  of  the  piece.  The  American 
gunners  were  not  altogether  guiltless  of  carelessness 
of  this  sort.  Their  chief  error  lay  in  ramming  down 
so  many  shot  upon  the  powder  that  the  force  of  the 
explosion  barely  carried  the  missiles  to  the  enemy.  In 
proof  of  this,  the  side  of  the  "  Confiance  "  was  thickly 
dotted  with  round  shot,  which  had  struck  into,  but 
failed  to  penetrate,  the  wood. 

The  result  of  this  victory  was  immediate  and  grati 
fying.  The  land  forces  of  the  British,  thus  deprived 
of  their  naval  auxiliaries,  turned  about,  and  retreated 
to  Canada,  abandoning  forever  their  projected  invasion. 
New  York  was  thus  saved  by  M acdonough's  skill  and 
bravery.  Yet  the  fame  he  won  by  his  victory  was  not 
nearly  proportionate  to  the  naval  ability  he  showed, 
and  the  service  he  had  rendered  to  his  country.  Before 
the  popular  adulation  of  Perry,  Macdonough  sinks  into 
second  place.  One  historian  only  gives  him  the  pre 
eminence  that  is  undoubtedly  his  due.  Says  Mr.  Theo 
dore  Roosevelt,  in  his  admirable  history,  "  The  Naval 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       201 

War  of  1812  ":  "  But  Macdonough  in  this  battle  won 
a  higher  fame  than  any  other  commander  of  the  war, 
British  or  American.  He  had  a  decidedly  superior 
force  to  contend  against,  and  it  was  solely  owing  to 
his  foresight  and  resource  that  we  won  the  victory. 
He  forced  the  British  to  engage  at  a  disadvantage  by 
his  excellent  choice  of  position,  and  he  prepared  before 
hand  for  every  possible  contingency.  His  personal 
prowess  had  already  been  shown  at  the  cost  of  the 
rovers  of  Tripoli,  and  in  this  action  he  helped  fight 
the  guns  as  ably  as  the  best  sailor.  His  skill,  seaman 
ship,  quick  eye,  readiness  of  resource,  and  indomitable 
pluck  are  beyond  all  praise.  Down  to  the  time  of  the 
civil  war,  he  is  the  greatest  figure  in  our  naval  history. 
A  thoroughly  religious  man,  he  was  as  generous  and 
humane  as  he  was  skilful  and  brave.  One  of  the 
greatest  of  our  sea  captains,  he  has  left  a  stainless  name 
behind  him.1' 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  "Hornet"  and  "  Peacock  "—Escape  of  the  "Constellation"— 
Cruise  of  the  "  President " — "  Chesapeake  "  and  "  Shannon  " — 
"  Argus  "  and  "  Pelican  " — "  Enterprise  "  and  "  Boxer." 

THE  year  1813  which  saw  such  a  decisive  victory  for 
the  Americans  on  Lake  Erie  won  for  them  no  glory 
on  the  ocean.  The  war  there  languished.  Such  as 
it  was  the  honors  rested  with  the  British.  Their  fleets 
were  engaged  in  blockading  ports,  or  raiding  and  burn 
ing  villages.  In  the  few  battles  between  the  smaller 
craft  of  both  belligerents  the  honors  were  about  even, 
but  in  the  one  frigate  duel  the  American  ship  was  de 
feated — not  disgracefully,  but  decisively.  Before  de 
scribing  the  battle  between  the  "  Chesapeake "  and 
"  Shannon "  we  may  well  survey  hastily  the  lesser 
events  of  the  year — a  series  of  pin-pricks  which  did 
much  to  irritate  the  American  people,  but  which  had 
little  to  do  with  the  outcome  of  the  war. 

Early  in  the  year  the  "  Hornet "  was  blockading 
an  English  treasure-ship  at  San  Salvador.  Chased 
away  from  this  station  by  a  British  seventy-four  she 
soon  fell  in  with  an  enemy's  man-of-war,  the  brig 
u  Peacock,"  of  a  weight  of  metal  about  equal  to  her 
own,  mounting  ten  guns  and  carrying  a  crew  of  two 
hundred  and  ten  men. 

The  u  Hornet "  was  immediately  cleared  for  action; 
and  the  two  hostile  vessels  began  manoeuvring  for  the 
weather-gage,  as  two  scientific  pugilists  spar  cautiously 
for  an  opening.  In  this  contest  of  seamanship,  Cap 
tain  Lawrence  of  the  "Hornet"  proved  the  victor; 
and  a  little  after  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  two 
enemies  stood  for  each  other  upon  the  wind,  the  "  Hor- 

202 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       203 

net "  having  the  weather-gage.  Not  a  shot  was  fired 
until  the  enemies  were  dashing  past  each  other,  going 
in  opposite  directions.  The  first  broadsides  were  ex 
changed  at  half  pistol-shot,  with  very  unequal  effects. 
The  shot  of  the  "  Hornet  "  penetrated  the  hull  of  her 
antagonist,  doing  terrible  execution ;  while  the  broadside 
let  fly  by  the  "  Peacock  "  whistled  through  the  rigging 
of  the  American  ship,  cutting  away  the  pennant,  and 
killing  a  topman,  who  was  struck  by  a  round  shot,  and 
dashed  from  his  station  in  the  mizzen-top,  to  fall 
mangled  and  lifeless  into  the  sea. 

Hardly  were  the  ships  clear,  when  the  British  cap 
tain  put  his  helm  hard  up, — a  manoeuvre  executed  with 
the  intention  of  securing  a  raking  position.  But  the 
plan  was  balked  by  the  cool  seamanship  of  Captain 
Lawrence,  who  quickly  followed  up  the  British  vessel, 
and,  getting  a  position  on  his  quarter,  poured  in  so 
rapid  and  accurate  a  fire  that  the  enemy  was  fain  to 
haul  down  his  colors  and  confess  defeat.  The  British 
ensign  had  hardly  touched  the  deck,  when  it  was  run 
up  again,  with  the  union  down,  as  a  token  of  distress. 
At  this  sight  the  Yankee  tars,  who  had  been  cheering 
lustily  over  their  quickly  won  victory,  stopped  their 
rejoicings,  and  set  about  assistance  to  the  injured  Brit 
ons  with  as  hearty  good-will  as  they  had  lately  shown 
in  their  vigorous  cannonade. 

With  all  possible  dispatch,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and 
Lieutenant  Shubr-ick  proceeded  on  board  the  prize.  He 
found  the  "  Peacock  "  a  complete  wreck.  Shortly  after 
the  surrender  her  main-mast  had  gone  by  the  board, 
and  her  hull  was  fairly  honeycombed  with  shot-holes. 
Returning  to  his  ship,  Shubrick  reported  the  condition 
of  the  prize.  He  was  immediately  ordered  to  return 
to  the  "  Peacock/'  and  make  every  effort  to  save  her. 
Accompanied  by  three  boats'  crews  of  American  sailors, 
he  again  boarded  the  sinking  ship,  and  bent  every 


204  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

energy  to  the  attempt  for  her  salvation.  Bulwarks 
were  cut  away,  and  the  heavy  guns  were  rolled  out  of 
the  gaps  thus  made,  and  cast  into  the  sea.  Deep  down 
in  the  hold,  and  swinging  like  spiders  over  the  sides 
of  the  vessels,  sailors  tried  to  stop  up  with  felt-covered 
blocks  of  wood  the  great  holes  through  which  the  water 
was  pouring.  All  the  time  boats  were  plying  between 
the  sinking  vessel  and  the  "  Hornet,"  transferring  the 
wounded  and  the  prisoners.  Twilight  fell  before  the 
work  was  ended,  and  it  became  evident  to  all  that  the 
"  Peacock  "  must  sink  during  the  night. 

In  one  respect  the  "  Peacock "  was  a  model  ship. 
Among  naval  men  she  had  long  been  known  as  "  the 
yacht,"  on  account  of  the  appearance  of  exquisite  neat 
ness  she  always  presented.  Her  decks  were  as  white 
as  lime-juice  and  constant  holystoning  could  keep  them. 
The  brass-work  about  the  cabins  and  the  breeches  of 
the  guns  was  dazzling  in  its  brilliancy.  White  canvas 
lined  the  breechings  of  the  carronades.  Her  decks 
everywhere  showed  signs  of  constant  toil  in  the  cause 
of  cleanliness.  The  result  of  the  battle,  however, 
seemed  to  indicate  that  Captain  Peakes  had  erred,  in 
that,  while  his  ship  was  perfect,  his  men  were  bad 
marksmen,  and  poorly  disciplined.  While  their  shot 
were  harmlessly  passing  through  the  rigging  of  the 
"  Hornet,"  the  Americans  were  pouring  in  well-directed 
broadsides,  that  killed  and  wounded  thirty-eight  men, 
and  ended  the  action  in  fifteen  minutes.  The  Amer 
icans  lost  but  one  man  in  the  fight,  though  three  more 
went  down  in  the  sinking  prize. 

This  American  success  was  offset,  however,  in  the 
same  month  by  the  loss  of  the  brig  "  Viper,"  twelve 
guns,  to  the  British  thirty-two  "  Narcissus." 

Meanwhile,  the  British  fleets,  now  much  augmented, 
were  blockading  the  American  coast  from  New  England 
to  Chesapeake  Bay.  Among  the  men-of-war  they 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       205 

trapped  in  port  was  the  "  Constellation,"  one  of  the 
three  "  lucky  "  ships  of  the  young  navy.  She  was  at 
the  opening  of  the  war  the  favorite  ship  of  the  Amer 
ican  navy;  her  exploits  in  the  war  with  France  having 
endeared  her  to  the  American  people,  and  won  for  her 
among  Frenchmen  the  name  of  "  the  Yankee  race 
horse."  Notwithstanding  her  reputation  for  speed, 
she  is  said  to  have  been  very  crank,  and  had  an  awk 
ward  way  of  getting  on  her  beam-ends  without  much 
provocation.  An  almost  incredible  tale  is  told  of  her 
getting  "  knocked  down  "  by  a  squall  while  chasing 
a  French  privateer,  and,  notwithstanding  the  delay, 
finally  overhauling  and  capturing  the  chase. 

When  war  was  declared  with  England,  the  "  Con 
stellation  "  was  so  thoroughly  dismantled,  that  some 
months  were  occupied  in  refitting  before  she  was  ready 
to  put  to  sea.  In  January,  1813,  she  dropped  anchor 
in  Hampton  Roads,  expecting  to  set  out  on  an  extended 
cruise  the  next  morning.  Had  she  been  a  day  earlier, 
her  career  in  the  War  of  1812  might  have  added  new 
lustre  to  her  glorious  record  in  the  war  with  France; 
but  the  lack  of  that  day  condemned  her  to  inglorious 
inactivity  throughout  the  war:  for  on  that  very  night 
a  British  squadron  of  line-of-battle  ships  and  frigates 
dropped  anchor  a  few  miles  down  the  bay,  and  the 
"  Constellation  "  was  fairly  trapped. 

When,  by  the  gray  light  of  early  morning,  the  look 
out  on  the  "  Constellation  "  saw  the  British  fleet  lying 
quietly  at  their  anchorage  down  the  bay,  he  reported 
to  Captain  Stewart;  and  the  latter  saw  that,  for  a  time, 
he  must  be  content  to  remain  in  port.  Stewart's  repu 
tation  for  bravery  and  devotion  to  his  country  leaves 
no  doubt  that  the  prospect  of  prolonged  idleness  was 
most  distasteful  to  him.  But  he  had  little  time  to 
mourn  over  his  disappointment.  The  position  of  the 
frigate  was  one  of  great  danger.  At  any  moment  she 


206  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

might  be  exposed  to  attack  by  the  hostile  fleet.  Ac 
cordingly,  she  dropped  down  abreast  of  Craney  Island, 
where  she  was  secure  from  attack  by  the  British  vessels, 
but  still  open  to  the  assaults  of  their  boats. 

To  meet  this  danger,  Captain  Stewart  took  the  most 
elaborate  precautions.  His  ship  was  anchored  in  the 
middle  of  the  narrow  channel ;  and  on  either  side  were 
anchored  seven  gunboats,  officered  and  manned  by  the 
men  of  the  frigate.  Around  the  gunboats  and  frigate 
extended  a  vast  circle  of  floating  logs,  linked  together 
by  heavy  chains,  that  no  boarders  might  come  along 
side  the  vessels.  The  great  frigate  towered  high  above 
the  surrounding  gunboats,  her  black  sides  unbroken  by 
an  open  port;  for  the  gun-deck  ports  were  lashed  down, 
and  the  guns  housed.  Not  a  rope's  end  was  permitted 
to  hang  over  the  side;  the  stern  ladders  were  removed, 
and  the  gangway  cleats  knocked  off.  An  enemy  might 
as  well  hope  to  scale  the  unbroken  front  of  a  massive 
wall  of  masonry,  as  that  dark,  forbidding  hull.  From 
the  bulwarks  rose  en  all  sides,  to  the  ends  of  the  yards, 
a  huge  net  made  of  ratlin  stuff,  boiled  in  pitch  until 
it  would  turn  the  edge  of  a  cutlass,  and  further  strength 
ened  by  nail-rods  and  small  chains.  The  upper  part 
of  the  netting  was  weighted  with  kentledge,  the  pigs 
of  iron  used  for  ballast;  so  that,  should  the  hardy  as 
sailants  succeed  in  coming  alongside  and  scaling  the 
side,  a  few  blows  of  an  axe  would  let  fall  the  heavily 
weighted  nettings,  sweeping  the  boarders  into  the  sea, 
and  covering  boats  and  men  with  an  impenetrable  mesh, 
under  which  they  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  sailors 
on  the  frigate's  decks.  The  carronades  and  howitzers 
were  loaded  with  grape;  and  the  officers  and  men  felt 
that  only  bravery  on  their  part  was  essential  to  the 
defeat  of  any  force  that  Great  Britain  could  send 
against  the  ship. 

Heedless  of  these  formidable  preparations  for  their 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       207 

reception,  the  enemy  set  under  way  two  expeditions  for 
the  capture  of  the  "  Constellation."  In  neither  case 
did  the  antagonists  actually  come  to  blows,  for  the 
approach  of  the  British  was  discovered  before  they 
came  within  pistol-shot;  and,  as  their  only  chance  lay 
in  surprising  the  Americans,  they  retired  without  strik 
ing  a  blow.  The  coming  of  the  first  expedition  was 
known  upon  the  "  Constellation "  the  day  before  it 
actually  set  out.  A  Portuguese  merchantman,  trying 
to  beat  out  of  the  bay,  had  been  stopped  by  the  British, 
and  anchored  a  few  miles  below  the  American  frigate. 
A  guard  and  lookout  from  the  English  fleet  were  sta 
tioned  on  the  Portuguese  to  watch  the  "  Constellation." 
In  an  unguarded  moment,  these  men  let  fall  a  hint  of 
the  movement  under  way;  and  an  American  passenger 
on  the  Portuguese  vessel  quickly  carried  the  news  to 
Captain  Stewart,  and  volunteered  to  remain  and  aid 
in  the  defence.  The  next  night  was  dark  and  drizzly; 
and  the  British,  to  the  number  of  two  thousand,  set 
out  in  boats  for  the  "  Constellation."  Hardly  were 
they  within  gun-shot,  when  two  lanterns  gleamed  from 
the  side  of  a  watchful  guard-boat;  and  the  roll  of  drums 
and  sound  of  hurrying  feet  aboard  the  frigate  told  that 
the  alarm  was  given.  The  assailants  thereupon  aban 
doned  the  adventure,  and  returned  to  their  ship.  The 
next  night  they  returned,  but  again  retreated  discom 
fited.  Several  nights  later,  a  third  expedition  came  up. 
This  time  the  guard-boat  was  far  down  the  bay;  and, 
seeing  the  huge  procession  of  boats,  the  Americans 
calmly  edged  in  among  them,  and  for  some  time  rowed 
along,  listening  to  the  conversation  of  the  British,  who 
never  dreamed  that  an  enemy  could  be  in  their  midst. 
Suddenly  a  sailor,  more  sharp-eyed  than  the  rest,  caught 
sight  of  the  interlopers;  and  the  cry  was  raised,  UA 
stranger!  "  The  Americans  tugged  at  their  oars,  and 
were  soon  lost  to  sight;  but,  not  being  pursued,  re- 


208  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

turned,  and  accompanied  their  foes  up  the  bay,  and 
even  anchored  with  the  flotilla  at  a  point  above  the 
"  Constellation."  The  enemy,  finding  the  Americans 
constantly  on  the  watch,  abandoned  their  designs  on  the 
ship,  and  vowed  that  Captain  Stewart  must  be  a  Scotch 
man,  as  he  could  never  be  caught  napping.  Some  days 
later,  an  officer,  sent  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  British 
fleet,  vastly  chagrined  the  officers  there  by  repeating 
their  remarks  overheard  by  the  guard-boat  officers  who 
joined  the  British  flotilla  in  the  dark.  These  three 
escapes  confirmed  the  reputation  borne  by  the  "  Con 
stellation,"  as  a  "  lucky  ship";  and  although  she  re 
mained  pent  up  in  port  throughout  the  war,  doing 
nothing  for  her  country,  her  luck  was  unquestioned  in 
the  minds  of  the  sailors. 

Among  the  frigates  that  did  get  to  sea  was  the 
"  President,"  Captains  Rodgers.  Her  cruise  was 
hardly  glorious,  but  one  incident  of  it  is  worth  the 
telling : 

It  was  near  the  last  of  September  that  the  frigate 
was  flying  along  before  a  fresh  breeze.  Her  yards  were 
spread  with  a  cloud  of  snowy  canvas,  and  the  wind 
sung  through  the  straining  cordage  a  melody  sweet 
to  the  ears  of  the  sailor  homeward  bound.  Towards 
evening,  a  small  sail  was  made  out  in  the  distance;  and, 
as  time  wore  on,  it  was  seen  that  she  was  rapidly 
approaching  the  "  President."  Rodgers  surmised  that 
the  stranger  might  be  a  British  vessel,  and  determined 
to  lure  her  within  range  by  strategy.  In  some  way 
he  had  obtained  knowledge  of  some  of  the  private  sig 
nals  of  the  British  navy;  and  in  a  few  minutes  from 
the  masthead  of  the  American  frigate  there  fluttered 
a  row  of  flags  which  announced  her  as  the  British 
frigate  "  Sea-Horse."  The  stranger  promptly  re 
sponded,  and  was  made  out  to  be  the  schooner  "  High 
flyer,"  a  little  craft  noted  for  her  sailing  qualities. 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       209 

Unsuspectingly  the  "  Highflyer  "  came  under  the  stern 
of  the  American  frigate,  and  waited  for  a  boat  to  be 
sent  aboard.  Soon  the  boat  came;  and  one  of  Rod- 
gers's  lieutenants,  clad  in  British  uniform,  clambered 
up  the  side,  and  was  received  with  due  honor.  He 
was  the  bearer  of  a  message  from  Commodore  Rod- 
gers,  requesting  that  the  signal-books  of  the  "  High 
flyer  "  be  sent  on  board  the  fictitious  "  Sea-Horse  "  for 
comparison  and  revision.  This  the  British  captain 
hastened  to  do,  and  soon  followed  his  books  to  the 
deck  of  the  frigate,  where  a  lieutenant  met  him,  clothed 
in  full  British  uniform.  A  file  of  marines,  dressed  in 
the  scarlet  coats  of  the  British  service,  stood  on  the 
deck;  and  the  duped  Englishman  greatly  admired  the 
appearance  of  the  frigate,  remarking  to  the  officer  who 
escorted  him  to  Rodgers's  cabin,  that  so  trim  a  craft 
could  only  be  found  in  His  Majesty's  service. 

On  entering  the  cabin,  the  English  officer  greeted 
Commodore  Rodgers  with  deference,  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  tell  of  naval  matters. 

"  I  have  here,"  said  he,  placing  a  bundle  of  papers 
in  the  commodore's  hands,  "  a  number  of  dispatches 
for  Admiral  Warren,  who  is  on  this  station.  You 
may  not  know  that  one  of  the  principal  objects  of  our 
squadron  cruising  here  is  the  capture  of  the  Yankee 
frigate  '  President,1  which  has  been  greatly  annoying 
British  commerce." 

Rodgers  was  naturally  much  interested  in  this  state 
ment,  and  asked  the  visitor  if  he  knew  much  about 
the  commander  of  the  "  President." 

"  I  hear  he  is  an  odd  fish,"  was  the  response;  "  and 
certainly  he  is  devilish  hard  to  catch." 

Rodgers  started.  He  had  hardly  expected  so  frank 
an  expression  of  opinion. 

"  Sir,"  said  he  emphatically,  "  do  you  know  what 
vessel  you  are  on  board  of?  " 


210  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

"  Why,  certainly,— on  board  of  His  Majesty's  ship 
'  Sea-Horse.'  " 

"  No,  sir,  you  are  mistaken,"  was  the  startling  re 
sponse.  '  You  are  on  board  of  the  United  States 
frigate  *  President,'  and  I  am  Commodore  Rodgers." 

The  astounded  Englishman  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
rushed  to  the  deck.  The  sight  he  saw  there  was  still 
more  startling.  The  quarter-deck  was  crowded  with 
officers  in  United  States  uniform.  The  scarlet  coats 
of  the  marines  had  vanished,  and  were  replaced  by 
Yankee  blue.  Even  as  he  looked,  the  British  flag 
came  fluttering  down,  the  American  ensign  went  up, 
and  the  band  struck  up  u  Yankee  Doodle." 

Nothing  was  left  to  the  Englishman  but  to  submit; 
and,  with  the  best  grace  possible,  he  surrendered  his 
vessel  and  himself  to  the  "  odd  fish  "  who  had  so 
cleverly  trapped  him. 

Three  days  later,  the  "  President,"  with  her  prize, 
and  crowded  with  prisoners,  dropped  anchor  in  the 
harbor  of  Newport,  after  a  cruise  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  days.  In  actual  results,  the  cruise  was  far 
from  satisfactory,  for  but  eleven  vessels  had  been 
taken.  But  the  service  rendered  the  country  by  annoy 
ing  the  enemy's  merchantmen,  and  drawing  the  British 
war-vessels  away  in  chase,  was  vast.  At  one  time 
more  than  twenty  British  men-of-war  were  searching 
for  the  roving  American  frigate;  and  the  seafaring 
people  of  the  United  States  were  thus  greatly  benefited 
by  the  "  President's  "  prolonged  cruise. 

But  the  one  great  naval  event  of  the  year  was  the 
duel  between  the  "  Chesapeake  "  and  "  Shannon,"  that 
cost  the  United  States  its  first  frigate  lost  in  the  war, 
and  gave  the  nation  its  naval  maxim,  "  Don't  give  up 
the  ship." 

The  "  Chesapeake  "  was  one  of  the  ships  caught  by 
the  blockade.  For  four  months  she  had  been  lying 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       211 

in  harbor  at  Boston  refitting  after  an  exceptionally  un 
lucky  cruise.  To  her  command  was  appointed  Captain 
James  Lawrence,  the  commander  of  the  "  Hornet "  in 
her  victorious  duel  with  the  "  Peacock."  On  reaching 
his  ship,  he  found  affairs  in  a  desperate  condition.  The 
sailors  who  had  sailed  on  the  long  and  unproductive 
cruise  were  firmly  convinced  that  the  frigate's  bad  luck 
was  beyond  remedy.  The  term  of  enlistment  of  many 
had  expired,  and  they  were  daily  leaving  the  ship. 
Those  who  remained  were  sullen,  and  smarting  under 
fancied  ill-treatment  in  the  matter  of  the  prize-money. 
To  get  fresh  seamen  was  no  easy  task.  Great  fleets 
of  privateers  were  being  fitted  out;  and  sailors  generally 
preferred  to  sail  in  these  vessels,  in  which  the  discipline 
was  light,  and  the  gains  usually  great.  Some  sailors 
from  the  "  Constitution  "  were  induced  to  join  the 
"  Chesapeake  ";  and  these,  with  the  remnant  of  the 
frigate's  old  crew,  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  crew  which 
was  filled  up  with  merchant-sailors  and  foreigners  of 
all  nations.  Before  the  lists  were  fairly  filled,  the 
ship  put  to  sea,  to  give  battle  to  an  adversary  that 
proved  to  be  her  superior. 

The  events  leading  to  the  action  were  simple,  and 
succeeded  each  other  hurriedly.  The  port  of  Boston 
was  blockaded  by  two  British  frigates,  the  "  Tenedos," 
thirty-eight,  and  the  u  Shannon,"  thirty-eight.  The 
latter  vessel  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Philip 
Bowes  Vere  Broke,  a  naval  officer  of  courage,  skill, 
and  judgment.  His  crew  was  thoroughly  disciplined, 
and  his  ship  a  model  of  efficiency.  No  officer  in  the 
service  understood  better  than  he  the  difference  between 
the  discipline  of  a  martinet  and  the  discipline  of  a 
prudent  and  sagacious  commander.  His  ship  might 
not,  like  the  "  Peacock,"  merit  the  title  of  "  the  yacht  "; 
but  for  active  service  she  was  always  prepared.  James, 
an  English  naval  historian,  turns  from  his  usual  occu- 


212  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

pation  of  explaining  the  American  naval  victories  by 
belittling  the  British  ships,  and  enormously  magnifying 
the  power  of  the  victors,  to  speak  as  follows  of  the 
"  Shannon  " : 

From  the  day  on  which  he  [Capt  Broke]  joined  her,  the  I4th  of 
September,  1806,  the  "  Shannon "  began  to  feel  the  effect  of  her 
captain's  proficiency  as  a  gunner,  and  zeal  for  the  service.  The 
laying  of  the  ship's  ordnance  so  that  it  may  be  correctly  fired  in  a 
horizontal  direction  is  justly  deemed  a  most  important  operation, 
as  upon  it  depends,  in  a  great  measure,  the  true  aim  and  destructive 
effect  of  the  shot;  this  was  attended  to  by  Capt.  Broke  in  person. 
By  drafts  from  other  ships,  and  the  usual  means  to  which  a  British 
man-of-war  is  obliged  to  resort,  the  "  Shannon "  got  together  a 
crew ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two,  by  the  paternal  care  and 
excellent  regulations  of  Capt.  Broke,  the  ship's  company  became  as 
pleasant  to  command  as  it  was  dangerous  to  meet. 

Moreover,  the  historian  goes  on  to  relate  that  the 
ship's  guns  were  carefully  sighted,  and  her  ammunition 
frequently  overhauled.  Often  a  cask  would  be  thrown 
overboard,  and  a  gun's  crew  suddenly  called  to  sink 
it  as  it  bobbed  about  on  the  waves  astern.  Practice 
with  the  great  guns  was  of  daily  occurrence. 

Every  day  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the  forenoon,  when  not 
prevented  by  chase  or  the  state  of  the  weather,  the  men  were 
exercised  at  training  the  guns ;  and  for  the  same  time  in  the 
afternoon  in  the  use  of  the  broad-sword,  musket,  pike,  etc.  Twice 
a  week  the  crew  fired  at  targets,  both  with  great  guns  and  musketry ; 
and  Capt.  Broke,  as  an  additional  stimulus  beyond  the  emulation 
excited,  gave  a  pound  of  tobacco  to  every  man  that  put  a  shot 
through  the  bull's-eye. 

Such  was  the  vessel  that  in  June  appeared  alone  off 
the  entrance  to  Boston  Harbor,  and  by  her  actions 
seemed  to  challenge  the  "  Chesapeake "  to  give  her 
battle.  Indeed,  Broke's  wish  to  test  the  strength  of 
the  two  vessels  was  so  great,  that  he  sent  in,  by  the 
hands  of  an  American  prisoner,  a  writen  challenge, 
the  terms  and  spirit  of  which  showed  the  writer  to  be 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       213 

a  courageous  and  chivalric  officer  and  gentleman.  "  As 
the  '  Chesapeake '  now  appears  ready  for  sea,"  he 
wrote,  "  I  request  you  will  do  me  the  honor  to  meet 
the  *  Shannon  '  with  her,  ship  to  ship,  to  try  the  for 
tunes  of  our  respective  flags.  To  an  officer  of  your 
character,  it  requires  some  apology  for  proceeding  to 
further  particulars.  Be  assured,  sir,  it  is  not  from 
any  doubt  I  can  entertain  of  your  wishing  to  close 
with  my  proposal,  but  merely  to  provide  an  answer 
to  any  objection  which  might  be  made,  and  very  reason 
ably,  upon  the  chance  of  our  receiving  any  unfair  sup 
port."  Captain  Broke  then  proceeds  to  assure  Law 
rence  that  the  other  British  ships  in  the  neighborhood 
would  be  sent  away  before  the  day  of  combat.  To 
the  challenge  was  appended  a  careful  statement  of  the 
strength  of  the  "  Shannon,"  that  Lawrence  might  un 
derstand  that  the  ships  were  fairly  matched. 

But  before  this  challenge  reached  Boston,  Lawrence 
had  set  out  to  seek  the  enemy.  He  had  seen  the 
"  Shannon  "  lying  off  the  entrance  to  the  port;  and, 
finding  out  that  she  was  alone,  he  knew  that  her  pres 
ence  was  in  itself  a  challenge  that  he  could  not  honor 
ably  ignore.  Nor  did  he  desire  to  avoid  the  battle 
thus  offered.  He  had  confidence  in  his  crew,  his  frig 
ate,  and  himself,  and  looked  for  nothing  but  victory. 
To  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  he  wrote:  "  An  English 
frigate  is  now  in  sight  from  my  deck.  I  have  sent  a 
pilot-boat  out  to  reconnoitre;  and,  should  she  be  alone, 
I  am  in  hopes  to  give  a  good  account  of  her  before 
night  My  crew  appear  to  be  in  fine  spirits,  and  I 
hope  will  do  their  duty." 

In  truth,  however,  the  condition  of  this  same  crew 
was  such  that  the  captain  would  have  been  justified  in 
refusing  the  challenge.  An  unusual  number  of  foreign 
sailors  were  enrolled,  among  whom  was  a  Portuguese, 
who,  in  the  ensuing  battle,  did  incalculable  injury  to 


2i4  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

the  cause  of  the  "  Chesapeake."  The  crew  had  never 
drilled  together;  many  of  the  sailors  came  on  board 
only  a  few  hours  before  the  ship  sailed  out  to  battle. 
All  the  old  sailors  were  sullen  over  the  delay  in  the 
payment  of  the  prize-money  of  their  last  cruise.  Law 
rence  attempted  to  allay  their  discontent  by  giving  them 
checks  for  the  prize-money;  but  the  sense  of  injury  still 
lingered  in  the  minds  of  the  men,  and  they  were  ill- 
fitted  to  do  battle  for  the  honor  of  the  flag.  Added 
to  this  evil  was  the  fact  that  the  first  and  second  lieu 
tenants  and  two  acting  lieutenants  were  away  on  sick- 
leave,  and  the  ship  was  thus  left  short  of  officers  on 
the  eve  of  battle. 

Regardless  of  the  disadvantages  under  which  he 
labored,  Lawrence  weighed  anchor  on  the  ist  of  June, 
and  started  down  the  harbor.  As  he  approached  the 
ocean,  Lawrence  mustered  his  crew  aft,  and  eloquently 
urged  them  to  fight  bravely,  and  do  their  duty  to  the 
country,  which  had  entered  upon  this  war  in  defence 
of  seamen  and  their  rights.  Three  ensigns  were  run 
up;  and  at  the  fore  was  unfurled  a  broad,  white  flag, 
bearing  the  motto,  u  FREE  TRADE  AND  SAILORS' 
RIGHTS."  When  Lawrence  closed  his  speech,  and 
pointed  out  the  flag  floating  at  the  fore,  the  men  cheered 
and  went  forward,  leaving  the  captain  convinced  that 
he  could  depend  upon  their  loyalty. 

The  morning  was  bright  and  cool,  with  a  fresh 
breeze  blowing,  before  which  the  "  Chesapeake  "  rap 
idly  bore  down  upon  the  foe  that  awaited  her.  Follow 
ing  cautiously  in  her  track  came  a  number  of  small 
craft, — pilot-boats,  sloops,  fishing-smacks,  and  pleasure- 
boats, — that  had  come  down  the  bay  to  see  the  outcome 
of  the  battle.  Hundreds  of  people  of  Boston  rode 
along  the  coast,  in  hopes  of  gaining  an  outlook  from 
which  the  progress  of  the  fight  might  be  viewed. 

At  noon  the  ship  rounded  Boston  Light,  and  made 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       215 

out  into  the  open  sea.  The  "  Shannon  "  went  ahead, 
under  easy  sail,  making  up  the  coast  toward  Salem. 
Towards  five  o'clock  the  "  Chesapeake  "  luffed  up  for 
a  moment;  while  the  pilot  clambered  down  the  side, 
and  put  off  in  a  small  boat.  A  gun  was  then  fired,  as 
a  signal  that  the  Americans  were  ready  for  action. 

The  "  Shannon  "  evidently  understood  the  purport 
of  the  signal;  for  she  quickly  hove  to,  and  troops  of 
agile  jackies  clambered  up  her  rigging,  and  began  to 
take  in  sail.  The  "  Chesapeake  "  followed  suit,  and 
was  soon  under  only  top-sails  and  jib.  She  then  laid 
her  course  straight  for  the  enemy. 

A  ship  preparing  for  action  in  that  day  was  a  scene 
of  hurry  and  confusion  that  cannot  be  equalled  in  this 
era  of  machinery  and  few  guns.  At  the  short,  broken, 
rolling  beat  of  the  drums,  calling  the  men  to  quarters, 
the  hurried  rush  of  hundreds  of  feet  began,  as  the 
men  came  pouring  from  all  parts  of  the  ship  to  their 
posts.  Some  clambered  aloft  to  their  stations  in  the 
tops;  others  invaded  the  sanctity  of  the  quarter-deck 
and  captain's  cabin,  where  several  guns  are  always 
mounted.  But  the  most  stirring  scene  is  on  the  long 
gun-deck,  where  the  men  gradually  fall  into  their  places 
at  the  two  long  rows  of  great  guns  that  peer  through 
the  open  ports  on  either  side.  All  are  stripped  to  the 
waist;  and  at  many  a  gun  the  fair  skin  of  the  American 
sailor  gleams  white  by  the  side  of  some  swarthy 
Spaniard,  or  still  darker  negro. 

All  quiet  down  on  reaching  their  stations;  and,  five 
minutes  after  the  drum-beats,  no  sound  is  heard,  save 
perhaps  the  steps  of  the  black  boys,  taking  rations  of 
grog  around,  that  the  men  may  "  splice  the  main 
brace  "  before  going  into  the  fight. 

Thus  silently  did  the  "  Chesapeake  "  bear  down  upon 
her  adversary.  There  was  no  long-range  firing;  for 
the  two  commanders  were  veterans,  whose  chief  desire 


216  STORY  OF  OUR   NAVY 

was  to  settle  the  dispute  yard-arm  to  yard-arm.  Gradu 
ally  the  American  ship  ranged  alongside  the  "  Shan 
non,"  at  a  distance  of  half  pistol-shot;  and,  as  her 
fore-mast  came  in  a  line  with  the  "  Shannon's  "  miz- 
zen-mast,  the  latter  opened  fire  with  her  cabin-guns. 
For  a  moment  the  "  Chesapeake  "  was  silent,  waiting 
for  her  guns  to  bear;  then,  with  sulphuric  flashes  and 
a  thunderous  roar,  she  let  fly  her  whole  broadside. 
Then  followed  a  duel  with  great  guns.  The  two  ships, 
lying  side  by  side,  dealt  and  received  staggering  blows. 
The  spectators  in  small  boats,  who  kept  a  safe  distance, 
and  the  crowds  of  eager  watchers  on  the  far-off  heights 
of  Salem,  saw  through  their  spy-glasses  the  flash  of 
the  first  broadsides,  and  the  flying  splinters  that  fol 
lowed  the  course  of  the  deadly  shot.  Then  a  heavy 
cloud  of  yellow  smoke  settled  over  the  warring  levia 
thans,  and  all  further  incidents  of  the  battle  were  shut 
out  from  view.  Only  the  top-masts  of  the  ships,  with 
the  half-furled  sails  and  the  opposing  ensigns  flying, 
could  be  seen  above  the  smoke. 

Under  this  vaporous  pall,  the  fighting  was  sharp  and 
desperate.  The  first  broadside  of  the  "  Shannon  "  so 
swept  the  decks  of  the  American  frigate,  that,  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  quartered  on  the  upper  deck,  not 
fifty  were  upon  their  legs  when  the  terrible  rush  of  the 
shot  was  over.  The  sailors  in  the  tops  of  the  British 
frigate,  looking  down  upon  the  decks  of  their  enemy, 
could  see  nothing  but  a  cloud  of  hammocks,  splinters, 
and  wreckage  of  all  kinds,  driven  fiercely  across  the 
deck.  Both  men  at  the  wheel  fell  dead,  but  their  places 
were  soon  filled;  while  fresh  gunners  rushed  down  to 
work  the  guns  that  had  been  silenced  by  the  enemy's 
fearful  broadside.  In  a  moment  the  "  Chesapeake  " 
responded  with  spirit,  and  for  some  time  broadsides 
were  exchanged  with  inconceivable  rapidity.  The  men 
encouraged  each  other  with  cheers  and  friendly  cries. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       217 

They  had  named  the  guns  of  the  frigate,  and  with  each 
telling  shot  they  cheered  the  iron-throated  monster 
which  had  hurled  the  bolt.  "  Wilful  Murder,"  "  Spit 
fire,"  "  Revenge,"  "  Bull  Dog,"  "Mad  Anthony," 
"  Defiance,"  "  Raging  Eagle,"  and  "  Viper  "  were  some 
of  the  titles  borne  by  the  great  guns;  and  well  the 
weapons  bore  out  the  names  thus  bestowed  upon  them. 
The  gunnery  of  the  Americans  was  good,  their  shot 
doing  much  damage  to  the  enemy's  rigging.  But  the 
effect  of  the  "  Shannon's  "  broadsides  was  such  that  no 
men,  however  brave,  could  stand  before  them.  They 
swept  the  decks,  mowing  down  brave  fellows  by  the 
score.  Officers  fell  on  every  side.  At  a  critical  mo 
ment  the  two  ships  fouled,  exposing  the  "  Chesapeake  " 
to  a  raking  broadside,  which  beat  in  her  stern-ports, 
and  drove  the  gunners  from  the  after-port.  At  this 
moment,  Lawrence  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  but  re 
mained  at  his  post  and  ordered  that  the  boarders  be 
called  up.  Unhappily  a  negro  bugler  had  been  de 
tailed  for  the  duty  usually  performed  by  drummers; 
and,  at  this  important  moment,  he  could  not  be  found. 
Midshipmen  and  lieutenants  ran  about  the  ship,  striv 
ing  to  call  up  the  boarders  by  word  of  mouth.  In 
the  confusion,  the  bugler  was  found  skulking  under 
the  stem  of  the  launch,  and  so  paralyzed  by  fear  that 
he  could  only  give  a  feeble  blast  upon  his  instrument. 
In  the  din  and  confusion  of  battle,  the  oral  orders  of 
the  officers  only  perplexed  the  men;  and  the  moment 
for  boarding  was  lost.  At  that  very  moment,  the  turn 
ing  point  of  the  conflict,  Captain  Lawrence  was  struck 
by  a  musket-ball,  and  fell  mortally  wounded  to  the 
deck.  His  officers  rushed  to  his  side,  and,  raising  him 
gently,  were  carrying  him  below,  when  in  a  firm  voice 
he  cried: 

"  Tell  the  men  to  fire  faster,  and  not  give  up  the 
ship.      Fight  her  till  she  sinks." 


218  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

With  these  words  on  his  lips,  he  was  carried  to  the 
ward-room. 

At  this  moment,  the  upper  deck  was  left  without 
an  officer  above  the  rank  of  midshipman.  The  men, 
seeing  their  captain  carried  below,  fell  into  a  panic, 
which  was  increased  by  the  explosion  of  an  arm-chest, 
into  which  a  hand-grenade,  hurled  by  a  sailor  lying 
out  on  the  yard-arm  of  the  "  Shannon,"  had  fallen. 
Seeing  that  the  fire  of  the  Americans  had  slackened, 
Captain  Broke  left  his  quarter-deck,  and,  running 
hastily  forward,  gained  a  position  on  the  bow  of  his 
ship  from  which  he  could  look  down  upon  the  decks 
of  the  "  Chesapeake."  His  practised  eye  quickly  per 
ceived  the  confusion  on  the  deck  of  the  American  frig 
ate;  and  he  instantly  ordered  that  the  ships  be  lashed 
together,  and  the  boarders  called  up.  An  old  quarter 
master,  a  veteran  in  the  British  navy,  set  about  lashing 
the  ships  together,  and  accomplished  his  task,  although 
his  right  arm  was  actually  hacked  off  by  the  cutlass 
of  an  American  sailor.  The  boarders  were  slow  in 
coming  up,  and  but  twenty  men  followed  Broke  as  he 
climbed  to  the  deck  of  the  "  Chesapeake."  Broke  led 
his  men  straight  for  the  quarter-deck  of  the  frigate. 
The  Americans  offered  but  little  resistance.  Not  an 
officer  was  in  sight  to  guide  the  men,  and  the  newly 
enlisted  sailors  and  foreigners  fled  like  sheep  before 
the  advance  of  the  boarders. 

The  British  reached  the  quarter-deck  with  hardly 
the  loss  of  a  man.  Here  stood  Mr.  Livermore,  the 
chaplain  of  the  "  Chesapeake,"  who  had  cruised  long 
with  Lawrence,  and  bitterly  mourned  the  captain's  fate. 
Determined  to  avenge  the  fallen  captain,  he  fired  a 
pistol  at  Broke's  head,  but  missed  him.  Broke  sprang 
forward,  and  dealt  a  mighty  stroke  of  his  keen  cutlass 
at  the  chaplain's  head,  who  saved  himself  by  taking 
the  blow  on  his  arm.  While  the  boarders  were  thus 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       219 

traversing  the  upper  deck,  the  sailors  in  the  tops  of 
the  "  Chesapeake  "  were  keeping  up  a  well-directed  fire, 
before  which  many  of  the  Englishmen  fell.  But  this 
resistance  was  not  of  long  duration;  for  one  of  the 
"  Shannon's "  long  nines,  loaded  with  grape,  swept 
clean  the  "  Chesapeake's  "  tops.  With  this,  the  British 
were  in  full  control  of  the  upper  deck. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  Americans  on  the  gun-deck  had 
known  nothing  of  the  events  occurring  on  the  deck 
above  them.  When  the  news  of  the  British  assault 
spread,  Lieutenant  Budd  called  upon  the  men  to  follow 
him,  and  drive  the  boarders  back  to  their  own  ship. 
A  number  of  the  marines  (who  behaved  splendidly 
throughout  the  fight)  and  some  twenty  veteran  sailors 
were  all  that  responded  to  the  call.  Broke  had  in 
the  meantime  summoned  the  marines  of  the  "  Shan 
non  "  to  his  aid;  and  the  British,  led  by  their  dashing 
commander,  were  pouring  in  a  dense  column  down 
the  companion-ways  to  the  gun-deck.  Budd  and  his 
handful  of  followers  attacked  them  fiercely;  and,  by 
the  very  desperation  of  the  onset,  the  British  were 
forced  back  a  few  paces.  Broke  threw  himself  upon 
the  Americans.  With  his  cutlass  he  cut  down  the  first 
man  who  attacked  him,  and  bore  down  upon  the  others, 
dealing  deadly  blows  right  and  left.  His  followers 
came  close  behind  him.  The  Americans  fell  on  every 
side,  and  began  to  retreat  before  the  overwhelming 
force  of  their  foes.  Up  from  the  ward-room  came 
Lieutenant  Ludlow,  already  suffering  from  two  dan 
gerous  wounds.  He  placed  himself  beside  the  younger 
officer,  and  the  two  strove  in  every  way  to  encourage 
their  men.  But  Ludlow  soon  fell,  with  a  gaping  wound 
across  his  forehead.  Budd  was  cut  down,  and  fell 
through  the  hatchway  to  the  deck  beneath.  The  sail 
ors,  seeing  both  officers  fall,  gave  way  in  confusion; 
and  the  ship  was  in  the  hands  of  the  British.  A  few 


220  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

marines  kept  up  a  fire  through  the  hatchway,  but  soon 
were  silenced. 

An  English  officer,  Lieutenant  Watts,  ran  to  the 
halliards  to  haul  down  the  American  flag.  But  it 
would  seem  that  the  good  genius  which  had  watched 
over  that  starry  banner  throughout  the  war  was  loath 
to  see  it  disgraced;  for  the  officer  had  hardly  finished 
his  work,  when  a  grape-shot  from  his  own  ship  struck 
him,  and  he  fell  dead. 

The  noise  of  the  battle  had  by  this  time  died  away, 
and  the  fresh  breezes  soon  carried  off  the  smoke  that 
enveloped  the  combatants.  It  was  an  awful  scene  thu<* 
exposed  to  view.  On  the  "  Chesapeake  "  were  sixty- 
one  killed,  and  eighty-five  wounded  men.  On  the 
44  Shannon  "  were  thirty-three  dead,  and  fifty  wounded. 
On  a  cot  in  the  ward-room  lay  Captain  Lawrence,  his 
mortal  wound  having  mercifully  rendered  him  uncon 
scious,  so  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  loss  of  his  ship. 
Broke  had  been  made  delirious  by  the  fevered  throb 
bing  of  the  wound  he  had  so  long  neglected.  Every 
where  were  evidences  of  carnage  and  desolation.  The 
British  prize-crew  took  possession  of  the  captured  ship, 
and  in  a  few  hours  the  captor  and  captive  were  well 
on  their  way  toward  Halifax. 

They  reached  port  on  the  yth  of  June;  and  the  sight 
of  the  "  Shannon,"  followed  by  the  "  Chesapeake " 
with  the  British  ensign  flying  proudly  over  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  stirred  the  little  city  to  the  utmost  en 
thusiasm.  As  the  two  ships  pursued  their  stately  course 
up  the  harbor,  the  British  men-of-war  on  all  sides 
manned  their  yards,  and  fired  salutes  in  honor  of  the 
victory.  The  thunders  of  the  cannon  brought  the 
town's-people  to  the  water-side,  and  their  cheers  rang 
out  lustily  to  welcome  their  conquering  countrymen  to 
port. 

Captain  Lawrence  had  died  the  day  before;  and  his 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       221 

body,  wrapped  in  an  American  flag,  lay  on  the  quarter 
deck  of  his  frigate.  Three  days  later,  his  body,  with 
that  of  his  gallant  lieutenant  Ludlow,  was  laid  to  rest 
with  imposing  naval  honors,  in  the  churchyard  at  Hali 
fax.  But  his  country,  honoring  him  even  in  the  day 
of  his  defeat,  was  not  content  that  his  body  should  lie 
in  the  soil  of  an  enemy's  country.  Two  months  after 
the  battle,  an  American  vessel,  the  "  Henry  "  of  Salem, 
entered  the  harbor  of  Halifax,  under  cover  of  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  took  on  board  the  bodies  of  Lawrence 
and  Ludlow.  They  were  conveyed  first  to  Salem  and 
later  to  New  York,  where  they  now  lie  under  a  massive 
monument  of  sandstone,  in  a  corner  of  Trinity  church 
yard.  A  few  feet  away,  the  ceaseless  tide  of  human 
life  rolls  on  its  course  up  and  down  Broadway;  few 
of  the  busy  men  and  women  pausing  to  remember  that 
in  the  ancient  churchyard  lies  the  body  of  the  man 
whose  dying  words,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship,"  were 
for  years  the  watchword  and  motto  of  the  United 
States  navy. 

Many  of  the  stirring  events  of  this  year  of  the  war 
took  place  in  the  waters  of  Chesapeake  Bay  and  Hamp 
ton  Roads — a  region  that  deserves  to  be  classic  in 
American  naval  annals.  There  was  gathered  a  power 
ful  British  fleet  under  command  of  Admiral  Cockburn 
—an  able  and  fearless  commander,  but  one  who,  be 
cause  of  the  heartlessness  of  his  methods,  was  bitterly 
hated  by  the  peaceful  inhabitants  along  the  shore.  The 
little  village  of  Havre  de  Grace  was  burned  by  his 
orders,  for  no  intelligible  reason,  and  the  banks  of  the 
surrounding  streams  ravaged  for  miles  in  every  direc 
tion.  Hampton,  a  more  considerable  town,  was  treated 
in  the  same  way,  though  in  this  instance  the  necessary 
severities  of  war  were  added  to  by  personal  barbarities 
committed  by  the  British  in  violation  of  all  the  tenets 
of  civilized  warfare.  Indeed,  the  atrocities  of  the 


222  STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

sack  of  Hampton  may  fairly  be  said  to  stand  as  the 
last  instance  of  ferocity  shown  against  non-combatants 
by  a  civilized  people.  All  the  coast,  too,  was  devas 
tated,  and  at  last  the  enemy  prepared  for  an  assault 
upon  Norfolk — a  rich  prize  could  it  have  been  won. 
On  the  2Oth  of  June  they  moved  forward  to  the  assault, 
— three  seventy-four-gun  ships,  one  sixty-four,  four 
frigates,  two  sloops,  and  three  transports.  They  were 
opposed  by  the  American  forces  stationed  on  Craney 
Island,  which  commands  the  entrance  to  Norfolk  Har 
bor.  Here  the  Americans  had  thrown  up  earthworks, 
mounting  two  twenty-four,  one  eighteen,  and  four  six- 
pound  cannon.  To  work  this  battery,  one  hundred 
sailors  from  the  "  Constellation,"  together  with  fifty 
marines,  had  been  sent  ashore.  A  large  body  of  militia 
and  a  few  soldiers  of  the  regular  army  were  also  in 
camp  upon  the  island. 

The  British  set  the  22d  as  the  date  for  the  attack; 
and  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  fifteen  large  boats, 
filled  with  sailors,  marines,  and  soldiers  to  the  number 
of  seven  hundred,  put  off  from  the  ships,  and  dashed 
toward  the  batteries.  At  the  same  time  a  larger  force 
tried  to  move  forward  by  land,  but  were  driven  back, 
to  wait  until  their  comrades  in  the  boats  should  have 
stormed  and  silenced  the  American  battery.  But  that 
battery  was  not  to  be  silenced.  After  checking  the 
advance  of  the  British  by  land,  the  Americans  waited 
coolly  for  the  column  of  boats  to  come  within  point- 
blank  range.  On  they  came,  bounding  over  the  waves, 
led  by  the  great  barge  "  Centipede,"  fifty  feet  long, 
and  crowded  with  men.  The  blue-jackets  in  the  shore 
battery  stood  silently  at  their  guns.  Suddenly  there 
arose  a  cry,  "  Now,  boys,  are  you  ready?*'  "All 
ready,"  was  the  response.  "  Then  fire !  "  And  the 
great  guns  hurled  their  loads  of  lead  and  iron  into 
the  advancing  boats.  The  volley  was  a  fearful  one; 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       223 

but  the  British  still  came  on  doggedly,  until  the  fire 
of  the  battery  became  too  terrible  to  be  endured.  "  The 
American  sailors  handled  the  great  guns  like  rifles," 
said  one  of  the  British  officers,  speaking  of  the  battle. 
Before  this  terrific  fire,  the  advancing  column  was 
thrown  into  confusion.  The  boats,  drifting  upon  each 
other,  so  crowded  together  that  the  oarsmen  could  not 
make  any  headway.  A  huge  round  shot  struck  the 
"  Centipede,"  passing  through  her  diagonally,  leaving 
death  and  wounds  in  its  track.  The  shattered  craft 
sunk,  and  was  soon  followed  by  four  others.  The 
order  for  retreat  was  given;  and,  leaving  their  dead 
and  some  wounded  in  the  shattered  barges  that  lay  in 
the  shallow  water,  the  British  fled  to  their  ships.  Mid 
shipman  Tatnall,  who,  many  years  later,  served  in  the 
Confederate  navy,  waded  out  with  several  sailors,  and, 
seizing  the  "  Centipede,"  drew  her  ashore.  He  found 
several  wounded  men  in  her, — one  a  Frenchman,  with 
both  legs  shot  away.  A  small  terrier  dog  lay  whimper 
ing  in  the  bow.  His  master  had  brought  him  along 
for  a  run  on  shore,  never  once  thinking  of  the  possi 
bility  of  the  flower  of  the  British  navy  being  beaten 
back  by  the  Americans. 

The  New  England  coast,  too,  was  blockaded,  but 
a  little  ten-gun  brig,  the  "  Argus,"  managed  to  slip  out, 
and  made  a  swift  run  to  France,  whither  she  carried 
Mr.  Crawford,  of  Georgia,  who  had  just  been  ap 
pointed  minister  to  that  nation.  This  duty  done,  her 
commander  took  his  ship  into  the  very  waters  that 
Paul  Jones  had  ravaged  thirty-five  years  earlier. 
Prizes  were  many,  but  all  had  to  be  burned,  as  there 
was  no  port  into  which  they  could  be  sent.  But  her 
end  came  soon  in  an  action  not  creditable  to  the  Amer 
ican  arms.  A  ship  deep-laden  with  wine  had  been 
captured,  and  the  American  sailors,  besides  enjoying 
the  cargo  to  the  full  before  applying  the  torch,  smuggled 


224  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

quantities  of  the  liquor  on  to  the  "  Argus."  As  luck 
would  have  it,  the  flames  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  brig  "  Pelican,"  which  bore  down  to  investigate. 

Day  was  just  breaking,  and  by  the  gray  morning 
light  the  British  saw  an  American  cruiser  making  away 
from  the  burning  hulk  of  her  last  prize.  The  "  Peli 
can  "  followed  in  hot  pursuit,  and  was  allowed  to  come 
alongside,  although  the  fleet  American  could  easily  have 
left  her  far  astern.  But  Captain  Allen  was  ready  for 
the  conflict;  confident  of  his  ship  and  of  his  crew,  of 
whose  half-intoxicated  condition  he  knew  nothing,  he 
felt  sure  that  the  coming  battle  would  only  add  more 
laurels  to  the  many  already  won  by  the  "  Argus."  He 
had  often  declared  that  the  "  Argus  "  should  never 
run  from  any  two-master;  and  now,  that  the  gage  of 
battle  was  offered,  he  promptly  accepted. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  "  Pelican  "  came 
alongside,  and  opened  the  conflict  with  a  broadside  from 
her  thirty-two-pound  carronades.  The  "  Argus  "  re 
plied  with  spirit,  and  a  sharp  cannonade  began.  Four 
minutes  after  the  battle  opened,  Captain  Allen  was 
struck  by  a  round  shot  that  cut  off  his  left  leg  near  the 
thigh.  His  officers  rushed  to  his  side,  and  strove  to 
bear  him  to  his  cabin;  but  he  resisted,  saying  he  would 
stay  on  deck  and  fight  his  ship  as  long  as  any  life  was 
left  him.  With  his  back  to  a  mast,  he  gave  his  orders 
and  cheered  on  his  men  for  a  few  minutes  longer;  then, 
fainting  from  the  terrible  gush  of  blood  from  his 
wound,  was  carried  below.  To  lose  their  captain  so 
early  in  the  action,  was  enough  to  discourage  the  crew 
of  the  "  Argus."  Yet  the  officers  left  on  duty  were 
brave  and  skilful.  Twice  the  vessel  was  swung  into 
a  raking  position,  but  the  gunners  failed  to  seize  the 
advantage.  "  They  seemed  to  be  nodding  over  their 
guns,"  said  one  of  the  officers  afterward.  The  enemy, 
however,  showed  no  signs  of  nodding.  His  fire  was 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       225 

rapid  and  well-directed,  and  his  vessel  manoeuvred  in 
a  way  that  showed  a  practised  seaman  in  command. 
At  last  he  secured  a  position  under  the  stern  of  the 
"Argus,"  and  lay  there,  pouring  in  destructive  broad 
sides,  until  the  Americans  struck  their  flag, — just  forty- 
seven  minutes  after  the  opening  of  the  action.  The 
loss  on  the  "  Argus  "  amounted  to  six  killed  and  seven 
teen  wounded. 

However,  American  pride  was  somewhat  mollified 
by  the  little  "  Enterprise,"  one  of  the  lucky  ships  of 
the  war  with  Tripoli.  In  the  early  part  of  September, 
1813,  she  was  cruising  near  Penguin  Point,  when  she 
sighted  a  brig  in  shore  that  had  the  appearance  of  a 
hostile  war-vessel.  The  stranger  soon  settled  all 
doubts  as  to  her  character  by  firing  several  guns,  seem 
ingly  for  the  purpose  of  recalling  her  boats  from  the 
shore.  Then,  setting  sail  with  the  rapidity  of  a  man- 
of-war,  she  bore  down  upon  the  American  vessel.  The 
"  Enterprise,"  instead  of  waiting  for  the  enemy,  turned 
out  to  sea,  under  easy  sail;  and  her  crew  were  set  to 
work  bringing  aft  a  long  gun,  and  mounting  it  in  the 
cabin,  where  one  of  the  stern  windows  had  been 
chopped  away  to  make  a  port.  This  action  rather 
alarmed  the  sailors,  who  feared  that  their  commander, 
Lieutenant  Burrows,  whose  character  was  unknown  to 
them,  intended  to  avoid  the  enemy,  and  was  rigging  the 
long  gun  for  a  stern-chaser.  An  impromptu  meeting 
was  held  upon  the  forecastle;  and,  after  much  whis 
pered  consultation,  the  people  appointed  a  committee 
to  go  aft  and  tell  the  commander  that  the  lads  were 
burning  to  engage  the  enemy,  and  were  confident  of 
whipping  her.  The  committee  started  bravely  to  dis 
charge  their  commission;  but  their  courage  failed  them 
before  so  mighty  a  potentate  as  the  commander,  and 
they  whispered  their  message  to  the  first  lieutenant, 
who  laughed,  and  sent  word  forward  that  Mr.  Bur- 


226  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

rows  only  wanted  to  get  sea-room,  and  would  soon  give 
the  jackies  all  the  fighting  they  desired. 

The  Americans  now  had  leisure  to  examine,  through 
their  marine-glasses,  the  vessel  which  was  so  boldly 
following  them  to  the  place  of  battle.  She  was  a  man- 
of-war  brig,  flying  the  British  ensign  from  both  mast 
heads  and  at  the  peak.  Her  armament  consisted  of 
twelve  eighteen-pound  carronades  and  two  long  sixes, 
as  against  the  fourteen  eighteen-pound  carronades  and 
two  long  nines  of  the  "  Enterprise."  The  English 
man  carried  a  crew  of  sixty-six  men,  while  the  quarter- 
rolls  of  the  American  showed  a  total  of  one  hundred 
and  two.  But  in  the  battle  which  followed  the  British 
fought  with  such  desperate  bravery  as  to  almost  over 
come  the  odds  against  them. 

For  some  time  the  two  vessels  fought  shy  of  each 
other,  manoeuvring  for  a  windward  position.  Towards 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Americans  gained 
this  advantage,  and  at  once  shortened  sail,  and  edged 
down  toward  the  enemy.  As  the  ships  drew  near,  a 
sailor  was  seen  to  climb  into  the  rigging  of  the  English 
man,  and  nail  the  colors  to  the  mast,  giving  the  lads 
of  the  "  Enterprise  "  a  hint  as  to  the  character  of  the 
reception  they  might  expect.  As  the  vessels  came 
within  range,  both  crews  cheered  lustily,  and  continued 
cheering  until  within  pistol-shot,  when  the  two  broad 
sides  were  let  fly  at  almost  exactly  the  same  moment. 
With  the  first  fire,  both  commanders  fell.  Captain 
Blyth  of  the  English  vessel  was  almost  cut  in  two 
by  a  round  shot  as  he  stood  on  his  quarter-deck.  He 
died  instantly.  Lieutenant  Burrows  was  struck  by  a 
canister-shot,  which  inflicted  a  mortal  wound.  He  re 
fused  to  be  carried  below,  and  was  tenderly  laid  upon 
the  deck,  where  he  remained  during  the  remainder  of 
the  battle,  cheering  on  his  men,  and  crying  out  that 
the  colors  of  the  "  Enterprise  "  should  never  be  struck. 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       227 

The  conflict  was  sharp,  but  short.  For  ten  minutes 
only  the  answering  broadsides  rung  out ;  then  the  colors 
of  the  British  ship  were  hauled  down.  She  proved  to 
be  the  sloop-of-war  "  Boxer,"  and  had  suffered  severely 
from  the  broadsides  of  the  "  Enterprise."  Several 
shots  had  taken  effect  in  her  hull,  her  fore-mast  was 
almost  shot  away,  and  several  guns  were  dismounted. 
Three  men  beside  her  captain  were  killed,  and  seventeen 
wounded.  But  she  had  not  suffered  these  injuries  with 
out  inflicting  some  in  return.  The  "  Enterprise  "  was 
much  cut  up  aloft.  Her  fore-mast  and  main-mast  had 
each  been  pierced  by  an  eighteen-pound  ball.  Her 
captain  lay  upon  the  deck,  gasping  in  the  last  agonies 
of  death,  but  stoutly  protesting  that  he  would  not  be 
carried  below  until  he  received  the  sword  of  the  com 
mander  of  the  "  Boxer."  At  last  this  was  brought 
him ;  and  grasping  it  he  cried,  "  Now  I  am  satisfied. 
I  die  contented." 

The  two  shattered  brigs  were  taken  into  Portland, 
where  the  bodies  of  the  two  slain  commanders  were 
buried  with  all  the  honors  of  war.  The  "  Enterprise  " 
was  repaired,  and  made  one  more  cruise  before  the 
close  of  the  war;  but  the  "  Boxer"  was  found  to  be 
forever  ruined  for  a  vessel  of  war,  and  she  was  sold 
into  the  merchant-service.  The  fact  that  she  was  so 
greatly  injured  in  so  short  a  time  led  a  London  paper, 
in  speaking  of  the  battle,  to  say:  "  The  fact  seems  to 
be  but  too  clearly  established,  that  the  Americans  have 
some  superior  mode  of  firing;  and  we  cannot  be  too 
anxiously  employed  in  discovering  to  what  circumstances 
that  superiority  is  owing." 

This  battle  practically  closed  the  year's  naval  events 
upon  the  ocean.  The  British  privateer  "  Dart "  was 
captured  near  Newport  by  some  volunteers  from  the 
gunboats  stationed  at  that  point.  But,  with  this  excep 
tion,  nothing  noteworthy  in  naval  circles  occurred  dur- 


228  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

ing  the  remainder  of  the  year.  Looking  back  over  the 
annals  of  the  naval  operations  of  1813,  it  is  clear  that 
the  Americans  were  the  chief  sufferers.  They  had 
the  victories  over  the  "  Peacock,"  "  Boxer,'1  and 
"Highflyer"  to  boast  of;  but  they  had  lost  the 
"  Chesapeake,"  "  Argus,"  and  "  Viper."  More  than 
this,  they  had  suffered  their  coast  to  be  so  sealed  up 
by  British  blockaders  that  many  of  their  best  vessels 
were  left  to  lie  idle  at  their  docks.  The  blockade,  too, 
was  growing  stricter  daily,  and  the  outlook  for  the 
future  seemed  gloomy;  yet,  as  it  turned  out,  in  1814 
the  Americans  regained  the  ground  they  had  lost  the 
year  before. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Cruise  of  the  "Essex"— A  Twelve-Year-Old  Captain— War 
with  the  Aborigines — A  Squadron  of  Prizes — Trapped  in  Port 
—The  Loss  of  the  "Essex." 

ONE  of  the  most  picturesque  cruises  of  the  war  began 
in  1812  and  ended  in  1814.  It  closed  in  disaster, 
in  dismal,  but  not  dishonorable  defeat.  But  the  story 
of  the  cruise  forms  one  of  the  most  inspiriting  chapters 
in  American  naval  annals,  while  the  experience  and 
discipline  it  afforded  began  the  education  of  a  twelve- 
year-old  boy  destined  to  become  the  foremost  naval 
hero  of  the  United  States. 

The  frigate  "  Essex,"  rated  at  thirty-two  guns,  but 
mounting  only  twenty-six,  was  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York  when  war  was  declared.  She  formed  part  of 
the  squadron  of  Commodore  Rodgers,  but  he,  being 
anxious  to  get  to  sea  before  the  dreaded  orders  laying 
up  all  ships  in  port  could  be  delivered,  slipped  away 
leaving  her  to  follow.  Her  commander  was  Captain 
David  Porter,  father  of  the  Civil  War  admiral  of  the 
same  name.  Among  the  midshipmen  was  a  twelve- 
year-old  boy  whom  the  captain  had  adopted — David 
Glasgow  Farragut,  whose  name  shines  bright  among 
those  of  our  naval  heroes.  In  those  early  days  mid 
shipmen  were  mere  boys,  but  we  shall  see  in  the  course 
of  this  narrative  that  they  did  their  duty  like  men. 

The  early  months  of  the  cruise  were  uneventful. 
Prizes  of  peaceful  merchantmen  were  plentiful  enough, 
but  the  only  battle  was  with  a  ship  so  much  the  Amer 
ican's  inferior  that  no  great  amount  of  glory  attended 
success.  The  "  Essex  "  was  curiously  disguised  as  a 
merchant  vessel,  when  on  the  I3th  of  August,  a  small 

229 


23o  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

British  man-of-war  bore  down  on  her,  gleefully  intent 
upon  taking  a  prize.  Porter  continued  his  bit  of 
deception.  Instead  of  the  great  crowd  of  agile  sailors 
that  spring  into  the  rigging  of  a  man-of-war,  at  the 
order  to  make  sail,  only  a  handful,  in  obedience  to 
Porter's  orders,  awkwardly  set  on  the  "  Essex "  all 
the  sail  she  would  carry.  Two  long,  heavy  cables 
dragging  in  the  water  astern  so  retarded  the  ship, 
that  the  stranger,  coming  down  gallantly,  thought  he 
had  fallen  in  with  a  lumbering  old  American  merchant 
man,  which  was  making  frantic,  but  futile,  efforts  to 
escape. 

Had  the  British  captain  been  able  to  look  behind 
the  closed  ports  of  the  "  Essex,"  he  would  have  formed 
a  very  different  idea  of  the  character  of  his  chase.  He 
would  have  seen  a  roomy  gun-deck,  glistening  with 
that  whiteness  seen  only  on  the  decks  of  well-kept  men- 
of-war.  Down  either  side  of  the  deck  stretched  a 
row  of  heavy  carronades,  each  with  its  crew  of  gun 
ners  grouped  about  the  breech,  and  each  shotted  and 
primed  ready  for  the  opening  volley.  From  the  maga 
zine  amidships,  to  the  gun-deck,  reached  a  line  of 
stewards,  waiters,  and  cooks,  ready  to  pass  up  cart 
ridges;  for  on  a  man-of-war,  in  action,  no  one  is  an 
idler.  Active  boys  were  skurrying  about  the  deck, 
barefooted,  and  stripped  to  the  waist.  These  were 
the  "  powder  monkeys,"  whose  duty  it  would  be,  when 
the  action  opened,  to  take  the  cartridges  from  the  line 
of  powder-passers  and  carry  it  to  the  guns.  On  the 
spar-deck,  only  a  few  sailors  and  officers  were  visible 
to  the  enemy;  but  under  the  taffrail  lay  crouched  scores 
of  blue-uniformed  jackies,  with  smooth-faced  middies 
and  veteran  lieutenants,  ready  to  spring  into  the  rigging 
at  the  word  of  command,  or  to  swarm  over  the  side 
and  board  the  enemy,  should  the  gunwales  of  the  vessels 
touch. 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       231 

All  this  preparation,  however,  was  unknown  to  the 
"  Englishman,"  who  came  boldly  on,  doubting  nothing 
that  the  "  Essex "  would  that  day  be  added  to  his 
list  of  prizes.  As  he  drew  nearer,  the  American  sailors 
could  see  that  their  foe  was  much  their  inferior  in 
size  and  armament;  and  the  old  tars  who  had  seen 
service  before  growled  out  their  dissatisfaction,  that  the 
action  should  be  nothing  but  a  scrimmage  after  all.  In 
a  few  minutes,  the  bold  Britons  gave  three  ringing 
cheers,  and  let  fly  a  broadside  at  the  "  Essex."  In 
an  instant  the  ports  of  the  sham  merchantman  were 
knocked  out;  and,  with  a  war-like  thunder,  the  heavy 
carronades  hurled  their  ponderous  missiles  against  the 
side  of  the  assailant.  The  astonished  Englishmen  re 
plied  feebly,  but  were  quickly  driven  from  their  posts 
by  the  rapidity  of  the  American  fire ;  and,  in  eight  min 
utes  after  the  action  was  opened,  the  British  hauled 
down  their  flag.  The  captured  ship  proved  to  be  the 
sloop-of-war  "  Alert,"  mounting  twenty  eighteen- 
pounder  carronades.  The  boarding  officer  found  her 
badly  cut  up,  and  seven  feet  of  water  in  the  hold. 
The  officers  were  transferred  to  the  "  Essex,"  and  the 
"  Alert "  taken  in  tow.  Circumstances,  however, 
forced  the  Americans  to  part  in  a  very  few  days. 

The  chief  cause  which  led  to  the  separation  of  the 
two  vessels  was  an  incipient  mutiny,  which  was  dis 
covered  by  Midshipman  Farragut,  and  was  only  averted 
by  the  perfect  discipline  of  the  American  crew.  An 
exercise  to  which  the  greatest  attention  was  given  was 
the  "  fire-drill."  When  the  cry  of  fire  was  raised  on 
the  ship,  every  man  seized  his  cutlass  and  blanket,  and 
went  to  quarters  as  though  the  ship  were  about  to  go 
into  action.  Captain  Porter  was  accustomed,  that  his 
men  might  be  well  prepared  for  any  emergency,  to 
raise  this  cry  of  fire  at  all  hours  of  the  night ;  and  often 
he  caused  a  slight  smoke  to  be  created  in  the  hold, 


232  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

further  to  try  the  nerves  of  his  men.  Shortly  after 
the  "  Alert "  was  captured,  and  while  the  "  Essex  " 
was  crowded  with  prisoners,  some  of  the  captives  con 
spired  to  seize  the  ship,  and  carry  her  to  England. 
One  night,  as  Farragut  was  sleeping  in  his  hammock, 
a  strange  feeling  of  fear  came  over  him ;  and  he  opened 
his  eyes  to  find  the  coxswain  of  the  captain's  gig  of 
the  "  Alert "  standing  over  him  with  a  pistol  in  his 
hand.  The  boy  knew  him  to  be  a  prisoner,  and,  see 
ing  him  armed,  was  convinced  that  something  was 
wrong.  Expecting  every  moment  to  be  killed,  he  lay 
still  in  his  hammock,  until  the  man  turned  on  his  heel 
and  walked  away.  Then  Farragut  slipped  out,  and 
ran  to  the  captain's  cabin  to  report  the  incident.  Por 
ter  rushed  upon  the  berth-deck  in  an  instant.  "  Fire ! 
fire!  "  shouted  he  at  the  top  of  his  voice;  and  in  an 
instant  the  crew  were  at  their  quarters,  in  perfect  order. 
The  mutineers  thought  that  a  bad  time  for  their  project, 
and  it  was  abandoned.  The  next  day  the  prisoners 
were  s^nt  on  board  the  "  Alert,"  and  that  vessel  sent 
into  St.  Johns  as  a  cartel. 

After  this  exploit  Porter  turned  his  ship's  prow 
southward.  He  hoped  to  meet,  off  the  coast  of  Brazil, 
the  "  Constitution  "  and  the  "  Hornet,"  but  before  his 
arrival  these  two  ships  had  fought  the  battles  described 
in  an  earlier  chapter,  and  were  on  their  way  home  with 
prizes  and  prisoners.  The  "  Essex "  was  alone  in 
waters  filled  with  British  men-of-war,  and  far  from  a 
friendly  port.  In  those  days  the  captain  was  his  own 
board  of  strategy.  There  was  no  wireless  telegraph 
to  direct  from  Washington  ships  three  thousand  miles 
away.  Thrown  upon  his  own  responsibility,  master 
of  his  own  fate,  the  old-time  navy  captain  developed 
a  decision  and  self-reliance  which  conditions  deny  to 
those  of  to-day.  Porter  met  his  situation  with  char 
acteristic  boldness.  Around  the  other  side  of  South 


ADMIRAL  FARRAGUT 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       233 

America,  in  the  broad  Pacific  Ocean,  were  no  British 
men-of-war,  but  large  fleets  of  British  whalers.  He 
at  once  determined  to  take  the  "  Essex  "  on  the  perilous 
voyage  around  Cape  Horn  and  seek  prizes  in  those 
unguarded  waters.  The  voyage  was  made  with  little 
incident,  beyond  the  capture  and  disarmament  of  a 
Peruvian  privateer  which,  though  Peru  was  at  peace 
with  the  United  States,  had  been  taking  and  burning 
American  whalers.  But  more  important  prizes  fell 
fast  into  the  grasp  of  the  "  Essex,"  so  that  three 
months  after  rounding  the  Horn,  Porter,  as  he  trod 
the  deck  of  his  ship,  found  himself  master  of  a  goodly 
squadron  instead  of  one  stanch  frigate.  The  "  Essex," 
of  course,  led  the  list,  followed  by  the  "  Georgianna," 
sixteen  guns,  forty-two  men;  "Atlantic,"  six  guns, 
twelve  men;  "Greenwich,"  ten  guns,  fourteen  men; 
"  Montezuma,"  ten  guns,  two  men;  "Policy,"  ten 
men.  Of  these  the  "  Georgianna  "  had  already  re 
ceived  her  armament  and  authority  as  a  war-vessel ;  and 
the  "  Atlantic  "  showed  such  seaworthy  qualities  that 
Porter  determined  to  utilize  her  in  the  same  way. 

Shortly  after  he  captured  even  a  larger  ship,  the 
"  Seringapatam,"  which  he  armed  with  twenty-two 
guns  and  made  part  of  his  squadron.  Other  vessels 
were  sent  back  to  the  United  States,  or  to  neutral  ports 
for  sale.  One  effect  of  these  successes  was  to  put 
a  heavy  strain  on  the  officers  of  the  "  Essex."  Every 
prize  had  to  be  officered  and  there  was  only  the  com 
plement  on  the  "  Essex "  to  draw  from,  and  even 
boyish  midshipmen  were  put  in  command  of  ships. 
Farragut  was  one  of  these,  and  his  description  of  his 
experience  is  worth  the  telling. 

"  I  was  sent  as  prize-master  to  the  l  Barclay,'  "  he 
writes.  "This  was  an  important  event  in  my  life; 
and,  when  it  was  decided  that  I  was  to  take  the  ship 
to  Valparaiso,  I  felt  no  little  pride  at  finding  myself 


234  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

in  command  at  twelve  years  of  age.  This  vessel  had 
been  recaptured  from  a  Spanish  guarda  costa.  The 
captain  and  his  mate  were  on  board;  and  I  was  to 
control  the  men  sent  from  our  frigate,  while  the  cap 
tain  was  to  navigate  the  vessel.  Captain  Porter,  hav 
ing  failed  to  dispose  of  the  prizes  as  it  was  understood 
he  intended,  gave  orders  for  the  *  Essex  Junior '  and 
all  the  prizes  to  start  for  Valparaiso.  This  arrange 
ment  caused  great  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  the 
captain  of  the  '  Barclay/  a  violent-tempered  old  fel 
low;  and,  when  the  day  arrived  for  our  separation 
from  the  squadron,  he  was  furious,  and  very  plainly 
intimated  to  me  that  I  would  4  find  myself  off  New 
Zealand  in  the  morning,'  to  which  I  most  decidedly 
demurred.  We  were  lying  still,  while  the  other  ships 
were  fast  disappearing  from  view ;  the  '  Commodore ' 
going  north,  and  the  4  Essex  Junior  '  with  her  convoy 
steering  to  the  south  for  Valparaiso. 

"  I  considered  that  my  day  of  trial  had  arrived  (for 
I  was  a  little  afraid  of  the  old  fellow,  as  every  one 
else  was).  But  the  time  had  come  for  me  at  least 
to  play  the  man:  so  I  mustered  up  courage,  and  in 
formed  the  captain  that  I  desired  the  topsail  filled 
away.  He  replied  that  he  would  shoot  any  man  who 
dared  to  touch  a  rope  without  his  orders ;  he  '  would 
go  his  own  course,  and  had  no  idea  of  trusting  him 
self  with  a  d — d  nutshell ' ;  and  then  he  went  below 
for  his  pistols.  I  called  my  right-hand  man  of  the 
crew,  and  told  him  my  situation;  I  also  informed  him 
that  I  wanted  the  main  topsail  filled.  He  answered 
with  a  clear  *  Ay,  ay,  sir ! '  in  a  manner  which  was  not 
to  be  misunderstood,  and  my  confidence  was  perfectly 
restored.  From  that  moment  I  became  master  of  the 
vessel,  and  immediately  gave  all  necessary  orders  for 
making  sail,  notifying  the  captain  not  to  come  on  deck 
with  his  pistols  unless  he  wished  to  go  overboard;  for 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       235 

I  would  really  have  had  very  little  trouble  in  having 
such  an  order  obeyed." 

By  the  last  of  September  Porter  learned  authori 
tatively  that  he  had  captured  all  of  the  British  whalers 
in  the  Pacific  save  one,  and  that,  furthermore,  the 
British  frigate  "  Phoebe  "  and  the  sloops  "  Raccoon  " 
and  "  Cherub  "  had  been  dispatched  to  those  waters 
to  end  his  career.  This  was  good  news  to  Porter,  who 
was  wearying  of  takrng  unarmed  ships,  but  as  he  had 
been  continually  at  sea  for  more  than  a  year  he  deter 
mined  to  seek  a  quiet  harbor  in  which  to  refit.  To 
this  end  he  sought  the  Marquesas  Islands,  then  a  true 
Pacific  tropical  paradise,  peopled  by  handsome  and 
gentle  natives  unspoiled  as  yet  by  intercourse  with  white 
men.  Here  in  the  harbor  of  Nookahevah,  Porter 
brought  his  ships  to  anchor  and  prepared  for  a  two 
months'  stay.  Hardly  had  the  ships  cast  anchor  when 
the  water  alongside  was  fairly  alive  with  canoes  and 
swimming  natives.  They  were  not  allowed  to  come 
on  board,  but  were  immensely  pleased  by  some  fish 
hooks  and  bits  of  iron  let  down  to  them  from  the  decks 
of  the  frigate.  Not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity,  the 
islanders  threw  up  to  sailors  cocoanuts,  fruits,  and  fish. 
A  boat-crew  of  jackies  that  went  ashore  was  surrounded 
by  a  smiling,  chattering  throng  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  who  cried  out  incessantly,  "  Taya,  taya " 
(friend,  friend),  and  strove  to  bargain  with  them  for 
fruits.  They  were  a  handsome,  intelligent-looking  peo 
ple;  tall,  slender,  and  well-formed,  with  handsome 
faces,  and  complexion  little  darker  than  that  of  a 
brunette.  The  men  carried  white  fans,  and  wore 
bracelets  of  human  hair,  with  necklaces  of  whales'  teeth 
and  shells  about  their  necks, — their  sole  articles  of 
clothing.  Both  men  and  women  were  tattoed;  though 
the  women  seemed  to  content  themselves  with  bands 
about  the  neck  and  arms,  while  the  men  were  elab- 


236  STORY  OF  OUR   NAVY 

orately  decorated  from  head  to  foot.  Though  some 
carried  clubs  and  lances,  they  showed  no  signs  of  hos 
tility,  but  bore  themselves  with  that  simple  air  of  hos 
pitality  and  unconscious  innocence  common  to  all  sav 
age  peoples  of  tropical  regions,  uncorrupted  by  asso 
ciation  with  civilized  white  men. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  discovery  was 
made  that  however  gentle  and  childlike  in  their  atti 
tude  toward  the  visitors,  the  natives  were  warlike 
among  themselves.  Three  tribes  struggled  for  the 
mastery  of  the  island,  and  Porter  soon  saw  that  unless 
he  threw  his  force  to  the  support  of  one  of  the  tribes 
all  three  would  unite  against  him  and  make  his  position 
untenable.  Accordingly,  the  curious  spectacle  was  pre 
sented  of  American  tars,  ten  thousand  miles  from  home, 
fighting  side  by  side  with  naked  barbarians,  armed  with 
spears  and  war-clubs.  Naturally,  the  Typees,  with 
whom  the  Americans  were  allied,  were  victorious,  and 
with  the  islanders  pacified,  the  work  of  refitting  went 
on  apace.  By  the  9th  of  December  the  "  Essex  "  and 
"  Essex  Junior  "  were  refitted,  and  stocked  with  fresh 
provisions  of  hogs,  cocoanuts,  and  bananas;  the  "  New 
Zealander,"  loaded  with  oil  from  the  other  prizes,  was 
ordered  to  proceed  to  New  York;  while  the  "Green 
wich,"  u  Seringapatam,"  and  "  Hammond  "  were  to 
remain  at  the  islands  until  the  "  Essex  "  should  return 
for  them.  These  arrangements  being  made,  the  war 
ships  made  ready  to  depart.  The  two  war-vessels 
turned  their  heads  toward  Valparaiso,  and  made  the 
port  after  an  uneventful  voyage  of  fifty-six  days.  The 
frigate  entered  the  harbor  at  once,  and  cast  anchor; 
while  the  "  Essex  Junior  "  was  ordered  to  cruise  about 
outside,  keeping  a  close  watch  for  the  enemy's  ships. 
The  friendship  of  the  people  of  the  town  seemed  as 
great  as  during  the  first  visit  of  the  frigate  to  the  port; 
and  a  series  of  entertainments  was  begun,  that  cul- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       237 

minated  in  a  grand  ball  upon  the  "  Essex  "  on  the 
night  of  the  7th  of  February,  1814.  For  that  one 
night  the  officers  of  the  "  Essex  Junior  "  were  absolved 
from  their  weary  duty  of  patrolling  the  sea  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor.  The  vessel  was  anchored  at  a 
point  that  commanded  a  view  of  the  ocean;  and  her 
officers,  arrayed  in  the  splendor  of  full  dress,  betook 
themselves  on  board  of  the  frigate.  At  midnight, 
after  an  evening  of  dancing  and  gaiety,  Lieutenant 
Downes  left  the  "  Essex,"  and  returned  to  his  vessel, 
which  immediately  weighed  anchor  and  put  to  sea.  The 
festivities  on  the  frigate  continued  a  little  time  longer; 
and  then,  the  last  ladies  having  been  handed  down  the 
gangway,  and  pulled  ashore,  the  work  of  clearing  away 
the  decorations  began.  While  the  ship's  decks  were 
still  strewn  with  flags  and  flowers,  while  the  awnings 
still  stretched  from  stem  to  stern,  and  the  hundreds 
of  gay  lanterns  still  hung  in  the  rigging,  the  "  Essex 
Junior  "  was  seen  coming  into  the  harbor  with  a  signal 
flying.  The  signal  quartermaster  rushed  for  his  book, 
and  soon  announced  that  the  flags  read,  "  Two  enemy's 
ships  in  sight."  At  this  moment  more  than  half  the 
crew  of  the  "  Essex  "  were  on  shore;  but  a  signal  set 
at  the  ship's  side  recalled  the  men,  and  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  the  ship  was  ready  for  action;  while  the 
**  Essex  Junior  "  cast  anchor  in  a  supporting  position. 
The  two  strange  vessels  were  the  "  Cherub  "  and 
the  "  Phoebe,"  British  men-of-war.  They  rounded 
into  the  harbor  about  eight  A.M.,  and  bore  down  to 
wards  the  American  ships.  The  "  Phoebe,"  the  larger 
of  the  two  Englishmen,  drew  close  to  the  "Essex"; 
and  her  commander,  Captain  Hillyar,  sprang  upon 
the  taffrail,  and  asked  after  Captain  Porter's  health. 
Porter  responded  courteously;  and,  noticing  that  the 
"  Phoebe  "  was  coming  closer  than  the  customs  of  war- 
vessels  in  a  neutral  port  permitted,  warned  the  English- 


238  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

man  to  keep  his  distance,  or  trouble  would  result.  Hill- 
yar  protested  that  he  meant  no  harm,  but  nevertheless 
continued  his  advance  until  the  two  ships  were  almost 
fouled.  Porter  called  the  boarders  to  the  bow;  and 
they  crowded  forward,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  stripped 
for  the  fight.  The  "  Phoebe  "  was  in  such  a  position 
that  she  lay  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  "  Essex,"  and 
could  not  bring  a  gun  to  bear  in  her  own  defence. 
Hillyar,  from  his  position  on  the  taffrail,  could  see  the 
American  boarders  ready  to  spring  at  the  word  of 
command,  and  the  muzzles  of  the  cannon  ready  to 
blow  the  ship  out  of  water.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  he  was  astonished  to  find  the  "  Essex  "  so  well 
prepared  for  the  fray,  for  he  had  been  told  that  more 
than  half  her  crew  had  gone  ashore.  Relying  upon 
this  information,  he  had  probably  planned  to  capture 
the  "  Essex  "  at  her  moorings,  regardless  of  the  neu 
trality  of  the  port.  But  he  had  now  brought  himself 
into  a  dangerous  position,  and  Porter  would  have  been 
justified  in  opening  fire  at  once.  But  the  apologies  and 
protestations  of  the  British  captain  disarmed  him,  and 
he  unwisely  let  the  "  Phoebe  "  proceed  unmolested. 

In  his  journal,  Farragut  thus  describes  this  incident : 
"  We  were  all  at  quarters,  and  cleared  for  action, 
waiting  with  breathless  anxiety  for  the  command  from 
Captain  Porter  to  board,  when  the  English  captain 
appeared,  standing  on  the  after-gun,  In  a  pea-jacket, 
and  in  plain  hearing  said: 

"  *  Captain  Hillyar's  compliments  to  Captain  Porter, 
and  hopes  he  is  well/ 

"  Porter  replied :  *  Very  well,  I  thank  you.  But  I 
hope  you  will  not  come  too  near,  for  fear  some  acci 
dent  might  take  place  which  would  be  disagreeable  to 
you.'  And,  with  a  wave  of  his  trumpet,  the  kedge- 
anchors  went  up  to  our  yard-arms,  ready  to  grapple 
the  enemy. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS        239 

"  Captain  Hillyar  braced  back  his  yards,  and  re 
marked  to  Porter,  that,  if  he  did  fall  aboard  him,  he 
begged  to  assure  the  captain  that  it  would  be  entirely 
accidental. 

"  *  Well/  said  Porter,  *  you  have  no  business  where 
you  are.  If  you  touch  a  rope-yarn  of  this  ship,  I  shall 
board  instantly.' ' 

Notwithstanding  Porter's  forbearance,  the  incident 
came  near  leading  to  a  battle,  through  the  action  of 
one  of  the  crew,  who  had  come  off  from  shore  with 
his  brain  rather  hazy  from  heavy  drinking.  This  man 
was  standing  by  a  gun,  with  a  lighted  brand  in  his 
hand,  ready  to  fire  the  piece,  when  he  thought  he  saw 
an  Englishman  grinning  at  him  through  one  of  the 
open  ports  of  the  "  Phoebe."  Highly  enraged,  he 
shouted  out,  "  My  fine  fellow,  I'll  soon  stop  your  mak 
ing  faces !  "  and  reached  out  to  fire  the  gun ;  when  a 
heavy  blow  from  an  officer,  who  saw  the  action, 
stretched  him  on  the  deck.  Had  that  gun  been  fired, 
nothing  could  have  saved  the  "  Phoebe." 

Porter  now  wished  to  get  rid  of  some  of  the  prizes 
with  which  he  was  encumbered.  He  could  not  burn 
them  in  the  harbor,  and  the  British  ships  kept  too  close 
a  watch  upon  him  to  permit  his  ships  to  leave  the  har 
bor  for  an  hour:  so  he  was  forced  to  wait  many  days 
for  an  opportunity.  On  the  I4th  of  February  the 
opportunity  came;  and  the  "Hector"  was  towed  out 
to  sea,  and  set  a-fire.  Two  weeks  later,  the  "  Phoebe  " 
came  alone  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and,  after  show 
ing  her  motto-flag,  hove  to,  and  fired  a  gun  to  wind 
ward.  This  Porter  understood  to  be  a  challenge,  and 
he  at  once  put  out  in  the  u  Essex."  But  the  "  Phoebe  " 
had  no  intention  of  entering  a  fair  and  equal  fight; 
for  she  quickly  joined  her  consort,  and  the  two  then 
chased  the  "  Essex  "  back  to  port.  Much  talk  and  a 
vast  deal  of  correspondence  grew  out  of  this  affair, 


24o  STORY  OF  OUR  NAVY 

which  certainly  did  not  redound  to  the  credit  of  the 
British. 

On  the  28th  of  March  the  wind  blew  with  such 
force  that  the  larboard  cable  of  the  "Essex"  parted; 
and  the  ship,  drifting  before  the  wind,  dragged  her 
starboard  cable  out  to  sea.  Knowing  that  the  British 
ships  were  in  waiting  outside,  Porter  lost  no  time  in 
getting  on  sail  and  trying  to  beat  back  into  the  harbor. 
But,  just  as  the  ship  was  rounding  the  point,  there  came 
up  a  heavy  squall,  which  carried  away  the  main  top 
mast,  throwing  several  topmen  into  the  sea.  In  her 
disabled  state  the  frigate  could  not  regain  the  harbor; 
but  she  ran  into  a  little  cove,  and  anchored  within  half 
pistol-shot  of  the  shore.  Here  she  was  in  neutral 
waters;  and,  had  Captain  Hillyar  been  a  man  of  his 
word,  the  "Essex"  would  have  been  safe:  for  that 
officer,  on  being  asked  by  Porter  whether  he  would 
respect  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  had  replied  with 
much  feeling,  "  You  have  paid  so  much  respect  to  the 
neutrality  of  the  port,  that  I  feel  bound  in  honor  to 
respect  it."  But  he  very  quickly  forgot  this  respect* 
when  he  saw  his  enemy  lying  crippled  and  in  his  power, 
although  in  neutral  waters. 

Hardly  had  the  "  Essex  "  cast  anchor,  when  the  two 
British  ships  drew  near,  their  actions  plainly  showing 
that  they  intended  to  attack  the  crippled  frigate.  The 
u  Essex  "  was  prepared  for  action,  the  guns  beat  to 
quarters;  and  the  men  went  to  their  places  coolly  and 
bravely,  though  each  felt  at  his  heart  that  he  was  go 
ing  into  a  hopeless  fight.  The  midshipmen  had  hardly 
finished  calling  over  the  quarter-lists,  to  see  that  every 
man  was  at  his  station,  when  the  roar  of  the  cannon 
from  the  British  ships  announced  the  opening  of  the 
action.  The  "  Phoebe  "  had  taken  up  a  position  under 
the  stern  of  the  American  frigate,  and  pounded  away 
with  her  long  eighteens;  while  the  "Essex"  could 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       241 

hardly  get  a  gun  to  bear  in  return.  The  "  Cherub  " 
tried  her  fortune  on  the  bow,  but  was  soon  driven 
from  that  position,  and  joined  her  consort.  The  two 
kept  up  a  destructive  fire,  until  Porter  got  three  long 
guns  out  of  the  cabin-windows,  and  drove  the  enemy 
away.  After  repairing  damages,  the  British  took  up 
a  position  just  out  of  range  of  the  "  Essex's  "  carron- 
ades,  and  began  a  rapid  and  effective  fire  from  their 
long  eighteens. 

Such  an  action  as  this  was  very  trying  to  the  crew 
of  the  "  Essex."  The  carronades  against  which  Por 
ter  had  protested  when  the  ship  was  armed  were  utterly 
useless  against  an  enemy  who  used  such  cautious  tactics. 
On  the  deck  of  the  frigate  men  were  falling  on  every 
side.  One  shot  entered  a  port,  and  killed  four  men 
who  stood  at  a  gun,  taking  off  the  heads  of  the  last 
two.  The  crash  and  roar  of  the  flying  shots  were  in 
cessant.  As  the  guns  became  crippled  for  lack  of  men, 
the  junior  officers  took  a  hand  in  all  positions.  Farra- 
gut  writes:  "I  performed  the  duty  of  captain's  aid, 
quarter-gunner,  powder-boy,  and,  in  fact,  did  every 
thing  that  was  required  of  me.  .  .  .  When  my  serv 
ices  were  not  required  for  other  purposes,  I  generally 
assisted  in  working  a  gun ;  would  run  and  bring  powder 
from  the  boys,  and  send  them  back  for  more,  until 
the  captain  wanted  me  to  carry  a  message;  and  this 
continued  to  occupy  me  during  the  action."  Once  dur 
ing  the  action  a  midshipman  came  running  up  to  Por 
ter,  and  reported  that  a  gunner  had  deserted  his  post. 
Porter's  reply  was  to  turn  to  Farragut  (the  lad  was 
only  twelve  years  old),  and  say,  "  Do  your  duty,  sir." 
The  boy  seized  a  pistol,  and  ran  away  to  find  the  cow 
ard,  and  shoot  him  in  his  tracks.  But  the  gunner 
had  slipped  overboard,  and  made  his  way  to  the  shore, 
and  so  escaped. 

After  the  "  Essex  "  had  for  some  time  suffered  from 


242  STORY  OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  long-range  fire  of  the  enemy,  Captain  Porter  deter 
mined  to  make  sail,  and  try  to  close  with  his  foes.  The 
rigging  had  been  so  badly  shot  away  that  the  flying 
jib  was  the  only  sail  that  could  be  properly  set.  With 
this,  and  with  the  other  sails  hanging  loose  from  the 
yards,  the  "  Essex  "  ran  down  upon  the  British,  and 
made  such  lively  play  with  her  carronades,  that  the 
"  Cherub  "  was  forced  to  haul  off  for  repairs,  and  the 
tide  of  war  seemed  to  be  setting  in  favor  of  the  Amer 
icans.  But,  though  the  gallant  blue-jackets  fought  with 
desperation,  their  chances  for  success  were  small.  The 
decks  were  strewn  with  dead,  the  cockpit  was  full,  and 
the  enemy's  shot  were  constantly  adding  to  the  number 
of  dead  and  dying.  Young  Farragut,  who  had  been 
sent  below  after  some  gun-primers,  was  coming  up  the 
ladder,  when  a  man  standing  at  the  opening  of  the 
hatchway  was  struck  full  in  the  face  by  a  cannon-ball, 
and  fell  back,  carrying  the  lad  with  him.  The  muti 
lated  body  fell  upon  the  boy,  who  lay  for  a  time  un 
conscious;  then,  jumping  to  his  feet,  ran,  covered  with 
blood,  to  the  quarter-deck.  Captain  Porter  saw  him, 
and  asked  if  he  was  wounded.  "  I  believe  not,  sir," 
answered  the  midshipman.  "  Then,"  said  the  captain, 
"  Where  are  the  primers?  "  Farragut  remembered  his 
errand,  and  dashed  below  to  execute  it.  When  he 
emerged  the  second  time,  he  saw  the  captain  (his 
adopted  father)  fall,  and  running  up  asked  if  he  was 
wounded.  "  I  believe  not,  my  son,"  was  the  response; 
"  but  I  felt  a  blow  on  the  top  of  my  head."  He  had 
probably  been  knocked  down  by  the  wind  of  a  passing 
shot. 

But  the  end  of  the  action  was  now  near.  Dreadful 
havoc  had  been  made  in  the  ranks  of  both  officers  and 
men.  The  cockpit  would  hold  no  more  wounded;  and 
the  shots  were  beginning  to  penetrate  its  walls,  killing 
the  sufferers  waiting  for  the  surgeon's  knife.  Lieuten- 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       243 

ant  McKnight  was  the  only  commissioned  officer  on 
duty.  The  ship  had  been  several  times  on  fire,  and 
the  magazine  was  endangered.  Finally,  the  carpenter 
reported  that  her  bottom  was  so  cut  up  that  she  could 
float  but  a  little  while  longer.  On  learning  this,  Por 
ter  gave  the  order  for  the  colors  to  be  hauled  down, 
which  was  done.  The  enemy,  however,  kept  up  their 
deadly  fire  for  ten  minutes  after  the  "  Essex "  had 
struck. 

David  Farragut  narrates  some  interesting  incidents 
of  the  surrender.  He  was  sent  by  the  captain  to  find 
and  destroy  the  signal  book  before  the  British  should 
come  aboard;  and,  this  having  been  done,  he  went  to 
the  cockpit  to  look  after  his  friends.  Here  he  found 
Lieutenant  Cornell  terribly  wounded.  When  Farra 
gut  spoke  to  him,  he  said,  "  O  Davy,  I  fear  it's  all  up 
with  me !  "  and  died  soon  after.  The  doctor  said,  that, 
had  this  officer  been  operated  upon  an  hour  before, 
his  life  might  Have  been  saved;  but  when  the  surgeons 
proposed  to  drop  another  man,  and  attend  to  him, 
he  replied,  "  No,  no,  doctor,  none  of  that.  Fair  play's 
a  jewel.  One  man's  life  is  as  dear  as  another's;  I 
would  not  cheat  any  poor  fellow  out  of  his  turn." 
Surely  history  nowhere  records  more  noble  generosity. 
Soon  after  this,  when  Farragut  was  standing  on  the 
deck,  a  little  negro  boy  came  running  up  to  inquire 
about  his  master,  Lieutenant  Wilmer,  who  had  been 
knocked  over  by  a  shot.  On  learning  his  master's  fate, 
he  leaped  over  the  taffrail  into  the  sea,  and  was 
drowned. 

After  the  "  Essex  "  had  been  formally  surrendered, 
boats  were  sent  to  convey  the  prisoners  to  the  British 
ships.  In  one  of  these  Farragut  was  carried  to  the 
"  Phoebe,"  and  there  fell  into  a  second  battle,  in  which 
the  victory  remained  with  him.  "  I  was  so  mortified  at 
our  capture  that  I  could  not  refrain  from  tears,"  he 


244  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

writes.  "  While  in  this  uncomfortable  state,  I  was 
aroused  by  hearing  a  young  reefer  call  out: 

"  '  A  prize !  a  prize !  Ho,  boys,  a  fine  grunter,  by 
Jove.' 

"  I  saw  at  once  that  he  had  under  his  arm  a  pet 
pig  belonging  to  our  ship,  called  *  Murphy/  I  claimed 
the  animal  as  my  own. 

"  *  Ah,'  said  he,  '  but  you  are  a  prisoner,  and  your 
pig  also !  ' 

"  l  We  always  respect  private  property,'  I  replied; 
and,  as  I  had  seized  hold  of  4  Murphy,1  I  determined 
not  to  let  go  unless  compelled  by  superior  force. 

"  This  was  fun  for  the  oldsters,  who  immediately 
sung  out: 

"  '  Go  it,  my  little  Yankee.  If  you  can  thrash 
Shorty  you  can  have  your  pig.' 

"  '  Agreed,'  cried  I. 

41 A  ring  was  formed  in  an  open  space,  and  at  it 
we  went.  I  soon  found  that  my  antagonist's  pugilistic 
education  did  not  come  up  to  mine.  In  fact,  he  was 
no  match  for  me,  and  was  compelled  to  give  up  the 
pig.  So  I  took  Master  Murphy  under  my  arm,  feel 
ing  that  I  had  in  some  degree  wiped  out  the  disgrace 
of  the  defeat." 

When  the  British  ships  with  their  prize  returned  to 
the  quiet  waters  of  the  harbor,  and  began  to  take  ac 
count  of  damages,  it  was  found  that  the  "  Essex " 
had  indeed  fought  a  losing  fight.  On  the  "  Phoebe," 
but  four  men  were  killed,  and  seven  wounded;  on 
the  "  Cherub,"  one  killed  and  three  wounded,  made 
up  the  list  of  casualties.  But  on  the  "  Essex  "  were 
fifty-eight  killed,  and  sixty-six  wounded;  while  an  im 
mense  number  of  men  were  missing,  who  may  have 
escaped  to  the  shore  or  may  have  sunk  beneath  the 
waves.  Certain  it  is  some  swimmers  reached  shore, 
though  sorely  wounded.  One  man  had  rushed  on  deck 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       245 

with  his  clothing  all  aflame,  and  swam  ashore,  though 
scarcely  a  square  inch  could  be  found  on  his  body  which 
was  not  burned.  Another  seaman  had  sixteen  or  eight 
een  scales  of  iron  chipped  from  the  muzzle  of  his 
gun  driven  into  his  legs,  yet  he  reached  the  shore  in 
safety. 

After  some  delay,  the  "  Essex  Junior  "  was  disarmed; 
and  the  prisoners,  having  given  their  paroles,  were 
placed  on  board  her,  with  a  letter  of  safe-conduct  from 
Captain  Hillyar  to  prevent  their  capture  by  any  Brit 
ish  man-of-war  in  whose  path  they  might  fall.  But 
this  letter  availed  them  little;  for,  after  an  uneventful 
voyage  to  the  northward,  the  "  Essex  Junior  "  found 
herself  brought  to  by  a  shot  from  the  British  frigate 
"  Saturn,"  off  Sandy  Hook.  The  boarding-officer 
took  Captain  Hillyar's  letter  to  the  commander  of  the 
"  Saturn,"  who  remarked  that  Hillyar  had  no  authority 
to  make  any  such  agreement,  and  ordered  the  "  Essex 
Junior  "  to  remain  all  night  under  the  lee  of  the  British 
ship.  Captain  Porter  was  highly  indignant,  and 
handed  his  sword  to  the  British  officer,  saying  that 
he  considered  himself  a  prisoner.  But  the  English 
man  declined  the  sword,  and  was  about  to  return  to 
his  ship,  when  Porter  said:  "Tell  the  captain  that  I 
am  his  prisoner,  and  do  not  consider  myself  any  longer 
bound  by  my  contract  with  Captain  Hillyar,  which  he 
has  violated;  and  I  shall  act  accordingly."  By  this 
Porter  meant  that  he  now  considered  himself  absolved 
from  his  parole,  and  free  to  escape  honorably  if  an 
opportunity  should  offer. 

Accordingly,  at  seven  o'clock  the  following  morning, 
a  boat  was  stealthily  lowered  from  the  "  Essex 
Junior";  and  Porter,  descending  into  it,  started  for 
the  shore,  leaving  a  message,  that,  since  British  officers 
showed  so  little  regard  for  each  other's  honor,  he  had 
no  desire  to  trust  himself  in  their  hands.  The  boat 


246  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

had  gone  some  distance  before  she  was  sighted  by  the 
lookout  on  the  "  Saturn,"  for  the  hull  of  the  "  Essex 
Junior  "  hid  her  from  sight.  As  soon  as  the  flight 
was  noticed,  the  frigate  made  sail  in  chase,  and  seemed 
likely  to  overhaul  the  audacious  fugitives,  when  a  thick 
fog  set  in,  under  cover  of  which  Porter  reached  Baby 
lon,  L.  I.,  nearly  sixty  miles  distant.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  "  Essex  Junior,"  finding  herself  hidden  from 
the  frigate  by  the  fog-bank,  set  sail,  and  made  for  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor.  She  was  running  some  nine 
knots  an  hour  when  the  fog  showed  signs  of  lifting; 
and  she  came  up  into  the  wind,  that  the  suspicion  of 
the  British  might  not  be  aroused.  As  it  happened, 
the  "  Saturn  "  was  close  alongside  when  the  fog  lifted, 
and  her  boat  soon  came  to  the  American  ship.  An 
officer,  evidently  very  irate,  bounded  upon  the  deck, 
and  said  brusquely: 

"  You  must  have  been  drifting  very  fast.  We  have 
been  making  nine  knots  an  hour,  and  yet  here  you  are 
alongside." 

"So  it  appears,"  responded  the  American  lieutenant 
coolly. 

"  We  saw  a  boat  leave  you,  some  time  ago,"  con 
tinued  the  Englishman.  "  I  suppose  Captain  Porter 
went  in  it?  " 

"  Yes.      You  are  quite  right." 

"  And  probably  more  of  you  will  run  away,  unless 
I  cut  away  your  boats  from  the  davits." 

u  Perhaps  that  would  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to 
adopt." 

"  And  I  would  do  it  very  quickly,  if  the  question 
rested  with  me." 

"  You  infernal  puppy,"  shouted  the  American  officer, 
now  thoroughly  aroused,  "  if  you  have  any  duty  to  do, 
do  it;  but,  if  you  insult  me  further,  I'll  throw  you 
overboard !  " 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       247 

With  a  few  inarticulate  sounds,  the  Englishman 
stepped  into  his  boat,  and  was  pulled  back  to  the  "  Sa 
turn,"  whence  soon  returned  a  second  boat,  bearing 
an  apology  for  the  boarding-officer's  rudeness.  The 
boarders  then  searched  all  parts  of  the  ship,  mustered 
her  crew  on  the  plea  that  it  contained  British  deserters, 
and  finally  released  her,  after  having  inflicted  every 
possible  humiliation  upon  her  officers.  The  "  Essex 
Junior  "  then  proceeded  to  New  York,  where  she  was 
soon  joined  by  Captain  Porter.  The  whole  country 
united  in  doing  honor  to  the  officers,  overlooking  the 
defeat  which  closed  their  cruise,  and  regarding  only 
the  persistent  bravery  with  which  they  had  upheld  the 
cause  of  the  United  States  in  the  far-off  waters  of  the 
Pacific. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

"  Peacock  "  and  "  Epervier  "—The  Disappearance  of  the  "  Wasp  " — 
Bombardment  of  Stonington — The  Capture  of  Washington — 
Fort  McHenry — Battle  of  New  Orleans. 

THE  year  1814  is  not  glorious  in  American  naval  his 
tory,  for  its  record  in  the  main  was  one  of  disaster. 
Its  story  redounds  but  little  to  the  honor  of  the  British, 
for  their  greatest  victories,  though  gallantly  won,  were 
marred  by  violations  of  the  code  of  civilized  warfare 
that  caused  even  London  journals  to  cry  out  in  protest 
and  rebuke.  It  would  almost  seem  that  Jackson's  vic 
tory  at  New  Orleans,  fought  after  the  treaty  of  peace 
had  been  signed  at  Ghent,  came  as  a  fateful  rebuke  to 
Cockburn  and  his  marauders. 

First  of  the  notable  actions  of  the  war  was  that 
of  the  "  Peacock  " — new  sloop-of-war  bearing  the  name 
of  a  British  prize — and  the  "  Epervier."  Cruising  in 
March  off  the  coast  of  Florida,  the  Americans  encoun 
tered  three  British  merchantmen,  with  a  man-of-war 
to  convoy  them.  The  merchantmen  scudded  for 
safety;  the  sloop-of-war  "  Epervier,"  with  eighteen 
guns  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  men,  came 
boldly  on  to  the  battle,  though  much  inferior  to  the 
"  Peacock." 

The  two  ships  bore  down  gallantly  upon  each  other, 
and  at  a  little  after  ten  in  the  morning  passed,  exchang 
ing  heavy  broadsides.  The  shot  of  each  took  effect 
in  the  rigging;  but  the  "  Peacock"  suffered  the  more, 
having  her  foreyard  totally  disabled, — an  injury  that 
compelled  her  to  run  large  during  the  rest  of  the 
action,  and  forego  all  attempts  at  manoeuvring.  The 
two  vessels  having  passed  each  other,  the  "  Epervier  " 

248 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       249 

eased  off,  and  returned  to  the  fight,  running  on  a  paral 
lel  course  with  the  American  ship.  The  interchange 
of  broadsides  then  became  very  rapid;  but  the  British 
marksmanship  was  poor,  and  few  of  their  shot  took 
effect.  The  "  Epervier,"  on  the  contrary,  suffered 
severely  from  the  American  fire,  which  took  effect  in 
her  hull,  dismounting  several  guns,  and  so  injuring  the 
brig  that  a  British  naval  officer,  writing  of  the  action 
some  years  later,  said:  "The  most  disgraceful  part  of 
the  affair  was  that  our  ship  was  cut  to  pieces,  and  the 
enemy  hardly  scratched." 

The  injury  aloft  which  both  vessels  sustained  caused 
the  battle  to  take  on  the  character  of  an  action  at  long 
range.  Under  such  conditions,  the  victory  was  as 
sured  to  the  side  showing  the  best  gunnery.  For  a 
moment  only  did  it  seem  that  the  vessels  were  likely 
to  come  to  close  quarters,  and  the  English  captain 
seized  that  occasion  to  call  up  his  boarders.  But  they 
refused,  saying,  "  She's  too  heavy  for  us.1'  A  few 
minutes  later  the  Englishman  hauled  down  his  flag, 
having  lost  nine  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  and  four 
teen  wounded.  The  Americans  had  suffered  but  little; 
only  two  men  being  injured,  and  these  but  slightly. 
The  shot  of  the  enemy  had  passed  through  the  rigging 
of  the  "  Peacock,'*  while  the  "  Epervier  "  had  been 
hulled  forty-five  times. 

The  "  Epervier  "  proved  to  be  a  valuable  prize.  In 
her  hold  specie  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  thousand  dollars  was  found;  and,  when  the 
brig  was  sold  to  the  United  States  Government,  she 
brought  fifty-five  thousand  dollars:  so  that  the  prize- 
money  won  by  that  action  kept  the  sailors  in  good 
humor  for  many  months  to  come.  But,  before  the 
prize  could  be  safely  carried  into  an  American  port, 
she  had  a  gantlet  to  run,  in  which  she  narrowly  escaped 
capture.  After  the  wreck  of  battle  had  been  cleared 


250  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

away,  the  brig  and  her  captor  made  for  Savannah,  but 
were  sighted  and  chased  by  two  British  frigates.  The 
"  Peacock,"  in  the  hope  of  drawing  away  the  pursuers, 
left  her  prize,  and  headed  out  to  sea.  One  frigate 
only  followed  her,  and  the  other  pressed  on  hotly  after 
the  "  Epervier,"  which,  to  avoid  capture,  was  forced 
to  run  into  shallow  water,  whither  the  heavy  frigate 
could  not  follow  her.  But  she  was  not  to  escape  so 
easily;  for  the  boats  of  the  frigate  were  lowered,  filled 
with  armed  men,  and  set  out  in  pursuit  of  the  brig, 
which  moved  but  slowly  before  the  light  breeze  then 
blowing.  The  boats  soon  overhauled  the  fugitive,  and 
escape  seemed  hopeless;  for  the  "Epervier"  was 
manned  by  a  prize-crew  of  only  sixteen  men.  But 
Lieutenant  Nicholson,  who  was  in  command,  deter 
mined  to  try  the  effect  of  bluster.  Accordingly  he 
leaped  upon  the  taffrail,  with  a  speaking-trumpet  in 
his  hand,  and  shouted  out  orders  as  if  calling  a  huge 
crew  to  quarters.  The  British,  who  were  within  easy 
range,  stopped  their  advance,  and,  fearing  a  destructive 
broadside  from  the  brig's  guns,  turned  and  fled  pre 
cipitately.  The  "  Epervier  "  continued  her  course,  and 
reached  Savannah  in  safety  on  the  ist  of  May.  The 
"  Peacock  "  reached  the  same  port  four  days  later. 

In  the  very  week  when  the  "  Peacock  "  reached  port 
with  her  prize  the  new  sloop-of-war  "  Wasp,"  named 
after  the  gallant  little  brig  that  had  been  captured  after 
defeating  the  u  Frolic,"  slipped  through  the  blockade 
at  Portsmouth  and  out  to  sea. 

At  daylight  on  the  28th  of  June,  the  "Wasp" 
sighted  two  merchantmen,  and  straightway  gave  chase. 
Soon  a  third  vessel  was  discovered  on  the  weather- 
beam;  and,  abandoning  the  vessels  first  sighted,  the 
American  bore  down  upon  the  stranger.  She  proved 
to  be  the  "  Reindeer,"  a  British  brig-sloop  of  eighteen 
guns,  carrying  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       251 

men.  Although  the  British  vessel  was  by  no  means  a 
match  in  weight  of  metal  for  the  "  Wasp,"  her  captain, 
William  Manners,  brought  her  into  action  with  a  cool 
gallantry  which  well  justified  his  reputation  as  one  of 
the  bravest  men  in  the  British  navy. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  ships  were  near 
enough  to  each  other  to  exchange  signals,  but  several 
hours  were  spent  in  manoeuvring  for  the  weather-gage; 
so  that  it  was  not  until  after  three  in  the  afternoon 
that  the  action  fairly  opened.  The  day  was  admirably 
suitable  for  a  naval  battle.  Light  clouds  floated  across 
the  sky,  and  the  gentle  breeze  that  was  blowing  had 
sufficient  strength  to  propel  the  ships  without  careening 
them.  The  surface  of  the  ocean  was  unusually  calm 
for  that  quarter,  in  which  a  rather  choppy  sea  is  usually 
running.  Before  the  light  breeze  the  "  Wasp  "  came 
down  upon  her  foe,  bows  on,  with  her  decks  cleared 
for  action,  and  the  men  at  their  quarters.  On  the 
top-gallant  forecastle  of  the  **  Reindeer  "  was  mounted 
a  twelve-pound  carronade,  and  the  action  was  opened 
by  the  discharge  of  this  piece.  In  the  position  she 
then  held  the  "Wasp"  was  unable  to  reply;  and  her 
crew  had  to  bear  five  effective  shots  from  this  gun  with 
out  being  able  to  fire  a  shot  in  return, — an  ordeal  that 
less  well-disciplined  crews  might  not  have  endured. 
For  nine  minutes  the  Americans  returned  not  a  shot; 
but  then  the  "  Wasp  "  luffed  up,  firing  the  guns  from 
aft  forward  as  they  bore.  The  two  ships  were  now 
lying  broadside  to  broadside,  not  twenty  yards  apart, 
and  every  shot  told.  For  ten  minutes  this  position 
was  held,  and  the  two  crews  worked  like  Furies  in 
loading  and  firing  the  great  guns.  The  roar  of  the 
cannon  was  incessant,  and  the  recoil  of  the  heavy  ex 
plosions  deadened  what  little  way  the  ships  had  on 
when  fire  was  opened.  Captain  Manners  was  too  old 
an  officer  not  to  know,  that,  in  an  artillery  duel  of 


252  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

that  kind,  the  victory  would  surely  rest  with  the  side 
that  carried  the  heaviest  guns:  so  he  ran  his  vessel 
aboard  the  "  Wasp  "  on  the  starboard  quarter,  intend 
ing  to  board  and  carry  the  day  with  the  stubborn,  dash 
ing  gallantry  shown  by  British  seamen  when  once  led 
to  an  enemy's  deck.  At  the  ringing  notes  of  the  bugle, 
calling  up  the  boarders,  the  British  gathered  aft,  their 
faces  begrimed  with  gunpowder,  their  arms  bare,  and 
their  keen  cutlasses  firmly  clutched  in  their  strong  right 
hands.  The  Americans  took  the  alarm  at  once,  and 
crowded  forward  to  repel  the  enemy.  The  marines, 
whose  hard  duty  it  is  in  long-range  fighting  to  stand 
with  military  impassiveness,  drawn  up  in  line  on  deck, 
while  the  shot  whistle  by  them,  and  now  and  then  cut 
great  gaps  in  their  straight  lines, — the  marines  came 
aft,  with  their  muskets  loaded  and  bayonets  fixed.  Be 
fore  them  were  sailors  with  sharp-pointed  boarding- 
pikes,  ready  to  receive  the  enemy  should  he  come 
aboard;  while  close  under  the  bulwarks  were  grouped 
the  boarders,  ready  with  cutlass  and  pistol  to  beat  back 
the  flood  of  men  that  should  come  pouring  over  the 
side.  The  grating  of  the  ships'  sides  told  that  the 
vessels  were  touching;  and  the  next  instant  the  burly 
British  seamen,  looming  up  like  giants,  as  they  dashed 
through  the  dense  murkiness  of  the  powder-smoke, 
were  among  the  Americans,  cutting  and  firing  right 
and  left.  From  the  deck  of  the  "  Reindeer  "  the  ma 
rines  kept  up  a  constant  fire  of  musketry,  to  which  the 
sea-soldiers  of  the  "  Wasp "  responded  vigorously. 
Marksmen  posted  in  the  tops  of  each  vessel  picked  off 
men  from  their  enemy's  decks,  choosing  generally  the 
officers. 

Sharp  and  bloody  though  the  British  attack  was, 
the  boarders  could  make  no  way  against  the  stubborn 
stand  of  the  Americans.  Captain  Manners,  seeing  his 
men  beaten  back,  sprang  forward  to  rally  them.  He 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       253 

was  desperately  wounded.  A  gun-shot  had  passed 
through  his  thighs,  and  a  grape-shot  had  cut  across 
the  calves  of  his  legs;  but,  maimed  and  bleeding  to 
death  as  he  was,  he  leaped  into  the  rigging,  and,  cheer 
ing  and  waving  his  sword,  called  to  his  men  to  follow 
him  to  the  decks  of  the  Yankee.  The  Britons  rallied 
nobly  under  the  encouragement  of  their  brave  captain, 
and  again  advanced  to  the  assault.  But  the  figure  of 
the  daring  officer,  as  he  stood  thus  before  his  men, 
waving  his  sword  and  calling  on  them  to  come  on, 
caught  the  eye  of  one  of  the  men  in  the  "  Wasp's  " 
main-top;  and  the  next  instant  a  ball  crashed  into  the 
captain's  brain,  and  he  fell  heavily  to  the  deck,  with 
his  dying  eyes  turned  upwards  toward  the  flag  in  whose 
service  he  had  given  his  life. 

Seeing  the  British  captain  fall  and  the  men  waver, 
Captain  Blakely  with  a  cheer  called  up  the  boarders 
of  the  "Wasp  ";  and  in  an  instant  a  stream  of  shout 
ing  sailors,  cutlass  in  hand,  was  pouring  over  the  ham 
mock-nettings,  and  driving  the  foe  backward  on  his 
own  decks.  The  British  still  fought  stubbornly;  but 
their  numbers  were  terribly  thinned,  and  their  officers 
had  fallen  one  by  one,  until  now  the  captain's  clerk 
was  the  highest  officer  left.  Seeing  his  men  falling 
back  before  the  resistless  torrent  of  boarders,  this 
gentleman  finally  struck  the  flag;  and  the  battle  ended, 
twenty-seven  minutes  after  the  "  Reindeer  "  had  fired 
the  opening  gun,  and  eighteen  after  the  "  Wasp  "  had 
responded. 

The  execution  and  damage  done  on  the  "  Reindeer  " 
by  the  "  Wasp's  "  shot  were  appalling.  Of  her  crew 
of  one  hundred  and  eighteen  men,  thirty-three  were 
killed  or  fatally  wounded,  and  thirty-four  were 
wounded.  The  havoc  wrought  among  her  officers  has 
already  been  mentioned.  Evidence  of  the  accuracy 
and  skill  of  the  American  gunners  was  to  be  seen  in 


254          STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

the  fact  that  the  brig  was  completely  cut  to  pieces  in 
the  line  of  her  ports.  Her  decks  were  swept  clean  of 
boats,  spars,  and  rigging.  Her  masts  were  badly  shat 
tered,  and  her  fore-mast  soon  went  by  the  board.  The 
"  Wasp  "  had  suffered  severely,  but  was  in  much  bet 
ter  condition  than  her  captured  adversary.  Eleven  of 
her  crew  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  and  fifteen 
were  wounded  severely  or  slightly.  She  had  been 
hulled  by  six  round  and  many  grape-shot,  and  her 
fore-mast  had  been  cut  by  a  twenty-four-pound  shot. 
A  few  hours'  work  cleared  from  her  decks  all  trace 
of  the  bloody  fight,  and  she  was  in  condition  for  an 
other  action.  But  it  would  have  been  folly  to  try 
to  get  the  crippled  "  Reindeer "  to  port  from  that 
region,  swarming  with  British  cruisers :  so  Captain 
Blakely  took  the  prisoners  on  the  "  Wasp,"  put  a  few 
of  the  wounded  on  a  neutral  vessel  that  happened  to 
pass,  and,  burning  the  prize,  made  his  way  to  the 
harbor  of  1'Orient.  He  had  fought  a  brave  fight,  and 
come  out  victor  after  a  desperate  contest.  But,  though 
defeated,  the  plucky  British  might  well  boast  of  the 
gallant  manner  in  which  they  engaged  an  enemy  so 
much  their  superior  in  strength.  History  nowhere 
records  a  more  gallant  death  than  that  of  the  British 
captain,  who  fell  leading  his  men  in  a  dashing  but  vain 
attempt  to  retrieve  the  day  by  boarding.  In  its  manoeu 
vring,  in  the  courage  and  discipline  of  the  crews,  and 
in  the  gallantry  of  the  two  captains,  the  action  of  the 
"  Wasp  "  and  the  "  Reindeer  "  may  well  go  down  to 
history  as  a  model  naval  duel  of  the  age  of  sails. 

After  winning  this  victory  the  "  Wasp  "  furnished 
the  history  of  the  sea  with  one  of  its  most  mysterious 
chapters.  Heard  from  but  twice  again,  she  vanished 
from  the  face  of  the  waters.  No  wreckage  was  left 
to  tell  the  tale;  no  survivors,  or  even  floating  bodies, 
were  ever  found  to  throw  light  on  her  disappearance. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       255 

The  last  heard  of  her  was  when  in  mid-ocean  she  over 
took  a  peaceful  Swedish  ship,  and  took  aboard  two 
American  passengers  who  preferred  to  sail  under  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  Thereafter  history  knew  her  no 


more. 

* 


Much  of  the  British  naval  activity  in  this  year  of 
American  disaster  was  centred  on  the  blockade,  bom 
bardments,  and  shore  raids.  The  mildness  with  which 
the  inhabitants  of  the  New  England  coast  had  been 
treated  gave  way  to  severity  almost  equal  to  that  of 
Cockburn  on  the  "  Chesapeake."  From  Maine  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Connecticut  River  the  people  were  panic- 
stricken,  and  hardly  a  night  passed  without  the  flames 
of  some  bonfire  kindled  by  the  enemy  out  of  American 
farm-houses. 

Yet,  in  the  main,  these  operations  were  of  little  effect 
on  the  progress  of  the  war.  They  sorely  injured  peace 
able  people,  but  had  little  effect  on  the  temper  of  the 
nation.  Sometimes  they  ended  in  ridiculous  fiascoes, 
as  in  the  famous  bombardment  of  Stonington. 

In  August,  1814,  Commodore  Hardy  appeared  off 
that  village  with  a  fleet  of  several  vessels,  headed  by 
the  seventy-four  "  Ramillies."  Casting  anchor  near 
shore,  he  sent  to  the  mayor  and  selectmen  the  follow 
ing  curt  note:  "  Not  wishing  to  destroy  the  unoffending 
inhabitants  residing  in  the  town  of  Stonington,  one 
hour  is  granted  them,  from  the  receipt  of  this,  to  re 
move  out  of  town."  This  message  naturally  caused 
great  consternation;  and,  while  messengers  were  sent 
in  all  directions  to  call  together  the  militia,  the  answer 
was  returned  to  the  fleet:  "We  shall  defend  the  place 
to  the  last  extremity.  Should  it  be  destroyed,  we  will 
perish  in  its  ruins."  And,  having  thus  defied  the 
enemy,  the  farmers  and  fishermen  who  inhabited  the 
town  set  about  preparing  for  its  defence.  The  one 


256  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

battery  available  for  service  consisted  of  two  eighteen- 
pounders  and  a  four-pounder,  mounted  behind  earth 
breastworks.  The  gunners  were  put  under  the  com 
mand  of  an  old  sailor,  who  had  been  impressed  into 
the  British  navy,  where  he  served  four  years.  The 
skill  he  thus  acquired  in  gunnery,  he  now  gladly  used 
against  his  former  oppressors.  It  was  near  nightfall 
when  the  British  opened  fire;  and  they  kept  up  a  con 
stant  cannonade  with  round  shot,  bombs,  Congreve 
rockets,  and  carcasses  until  near  midnight,  without  do 
ing  the  slightest  damage.  The  bursting  shells,  the 
fiery  rockets,  and  the  carcasses  filled  with  flaming  chem 
icals,  fairly  filled  the  little  wooden  village  with  fire; 
but  the  exertions  of  the  people  prevented  the  spread 
of  the  flames.  The  fleet  ceased  firing  at  midnight, 
but  there  was  no  peace  for  the  villagers.  Militiamen 
were  pouring  in  from  the  country  round  about,  labor 
ers  were  at  work  throwing  up  breastwork,  carriers  were 
dashing  about  in  search  of  ammunition,  and  all  was 
activity,  until,  with  the  first  gleam  of  daylight,  the  fire 
of  the  ships  was  re-opened.  The  Americans  promptly 
responded,  and  soon  two  eighteen-pound  shot  hulled  the 
brig  "  Despatch/'  For  an  hour  or  two  a  rapid  fire 
was  kept  up;  then,  the  powder  giving  out,  the  Amer 
icans  spiked  their  largest  gun,  and,  nailing  a  flag  to 
the  battery  flag-staff,  went  in  search  of  more  ammuni 
tion.  The  British  did  not  land;  and  the  Americans, 
finding  six  kegs  of  powder,  took  the  gun  to  a  black 
smith,  who  drilled  out  the  spike,  and  the  action  con 
tinued.  So  vigorous  and  well  directed  was  the  fire 
of  the  Americans,  that  the  "  Despatch  "  was  forced  to 
slip  her  cables  and  make  off  to  a  place  of  safety.  That 
afternoon  a  truce  was  declared,  which  continued  until 
eight  the  next  morning.  By  that  time,  the  Americans 
had  assembled  in  sufficient  force  to  defeat  any  landing 
party  the  enemy  could  send  ashore.  The  bombard- 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       257 

ment  of  the  town  continued;  but  the  aim  of  the  British 
was  so  inconceivably  poor,  that,  during  the  three  days' 
firing,  no  damage  was  done  by  their  shot.  A  more 
ludicrous  fiasco  could  hardly  be  imagined,  and  the 
Americans  were  quick  to  see  the  comical  side  of  the 
affair.  Before  departing,  the  British  fired  over  fifteen 
tons  of  lead  and  iron  into  the  town.  A  quantity  of 
this  was  picked  up  by  the  Americans,  and  offered  for 
sale.  In  a  New  York  paper  appeared  the  advertise 
ment: 

Just  received,  and  offered  for  sale,  about  three  tons  of  round 
shot,  consisting  of  six,  nine,  twelve,  eighteen,  twenty-four,  and 
thirty-two  pounds ;  very  handsome,  being  a  small  proportion  of  those 
which  were  fired  from  His  Britannic  Majesty's  ships  on  the  un 
offending  inhabitants  of  Stonington,  in  the  recent  brilliant  attack 
on  that  place.  Likewise  a  few  carcasses,  in  good  order,  weighing 
about  two  hundred  pounds  each.  Apply,  etc. 

A  popular  bard  of  the  time  set  forth  in  rollicking 
verse  the  exploits  of  the  British  gunners: 

They  killed  a  goose,  they  killed  a  hen, 
Three  hogs  they  wounded  in  a  pen; 
They  dashed  away, — and  pray  what  then? 
That  was  not  taking  Stonington. 

The  shells  were  thrown,  the  rockets  flew; 
But  not  a  shell  of  all  they  threw — 
Though  every  house  was  full  in  view — 
Could  burn  a  house  in  Stonington. 

But  the  war  along  the  Southern  seaboard  had  noth 
ing  farcical  about  it.  The  American  forces  in  the 
Chesapeake  and  tributary  waters  consisted  of  twenty- 
six  gunboats  and  barges  manned  by  nine  hundred  men, 
under  the  command  of  Commodore  Barney,  a  veteran 
of  the  Revolution.  The  British  had  a  fleet  of  ocean 
going  vessels,  varying  in  numbers  from  time  to  time, 
but  always  thrice  as  powerful  as  Barney's  little  flotilla. 


258  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

Several  attempts  were  made  by  Admiral  Cockburn  to 
brush  the  Americans  out  of  his  path — for  his  eyes 
were  fixed  on  Washington — but  the  assailants  were  al 
ways  beaten  back,  or  tactically  outwitted  by  the  Amer 
ican  commander.  At  last  came  a  determined  effort, 
which  ended  in  the  one  disgraceful  disaster  to  the 
American  arms  during  the  whole  course  of  the  war. 
It  was  in  May  of  1814  that  a  British  expedition  of 
more  than  five  thousand  men — composed  of  regulars, 
marines,  and  a  few  negroes — was  carried  up  the  Pa- 
tuxent,  and  landed  at  Benedict,  where  an  armed  brig 
had  been  stationed  to  cover  the  disembarkation.  It 
was  early  dawn  when  the  signal  to  land  was  given, 
and  the  river  was  covered  in  an  instant  with  a  well- 
manned  and  warlike  flotilla.  It  was  hard  work  for 
the  British  sailors,  for  a  strong  current  was  running; 
but  by  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  whole  army 
was  landed,  and  encamped  in  a  strong  position  on  a 
hill  overlooking  the  village.  Though  no  American 
troops  were  anywhere  in  the  vicinity,  the  landing  was 
conducted  with  the  utmost  caution.  As  the  prow  of 
each  boat  grated  on  the  sand,  the  soldiers  leaped  on 
the  beach,  and  instantly  drew  up  in  line,  ready  to  repel 
any  attack.  After  the  infantry  was  landed,  about  a 
hundred  artillerymen  followed,  and  the  same  number 
of  sailors  dragging  howitzers. 

It  is  easily  understood  that  this  powerful  force  was 
not  organized  solely  to  destroy  Barney's  pitiful  little 
flotilla.  The  real  purpose  of  the  British  commander 
was  to  press  on  into  the  interior,  and  capture  Wash 
ington,  which  the  Americans  had  foolishly  left  without 
any  defences  whatever.  It  came  to  Barney's  ears  that 
Admiral  Cockburn  had  boasted  that  he  would  destroy 
the  American  flotilla,  and  dine  in  Washington  the  fol 
lowing  Sunday.  This  news  the  American  commodore 
sent  off  to  the  authorities  at  the  capital,  and  they  then 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       259 

began  to  make  futile  preparations  to  repel  the  invader. 
In  the  meantime  the  British  commenced  their  march 
up  the  shores  of  the  Patuxent,  meeting  with  no  opposi 
tion.  Barney,  knowing  that  the  defence  of  the  national 
capital  was  of  far  greater  importance  than  the  fate 
of  his  flotilla,  landed  with  four  hundred  men,  and 
hastened  to  the  American  lines  before  Washington.  He 
left  the  barges  under  the  command  of  the  second  lieu 
tenant,  Mr.  Frazier,  with  instructions  to  set  fire  to 
every  boat  on  the  appearance  of  the  enemy,  and  then 
join  the  commodore  with  all  the  men  left  under  his 
charge.  Accordingly,  when  the  invading  column 
reached  Nottingham,  Mr.  Frazier  took  the  flotilla  still 
higher  up  the  creek, — a  move  that  vastly  disconcerted 
the  British,  who  saw  their  prey  eluding  them.  "  But 
in  the  main  object  of  our  pursuit  we  were  disappointed," 
wrote  a  British  officer.  "  The  flotilla  which  had  been 
stationed  opposite  to  Nottingham  retired,  on  our  ap 
proach,  higher  up  the  stream;  and  we  were  conse 
quently  in  the  situation  of  a  huntsman  who  sees  his 
hounds  at  fault,  and  has  every  reason  to  apprehend 
that  his  game  will  escape."  But  the  game  never  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  ardent  hunters;  for  the  next  day 
Mr.  Frazier  fulfilled  his  orders  by  setting  fire  to  every 
barge,  and,  after  seeing  several  of  the  larger  boats 
blow  up,  mustered  his  men,  and  cut  across  the  country, 
to  join  his  superior  officer.  The  British  naval  forces 
soon  after  reached  Pig  Point,  the  scene  of  this  destruc 
tion,  and  there  remained;  while  the  land  forces  im 
mediately  turned  away  from  the  river,  and  marched 
upon  Washington. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  give  in  detail  the  incidents  of 
the  series  of  skirmishes  by  which  the  British  fought 
their  way  to  the  American  capital.  They  were  op 
posed  by  raw  militia,  and  the  few  sailors  and  marines 
under  Barney.  The  former  fled  with  promptitude  at 


260          STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

the  very  first  fire,  but  the  sailors  and  marines  fought 
gallantly.  The  fighting  was  sharpest  at  Bladensburg; 
and  here  Barney's  blue-jackets  won  praise  from  every 
body,  even  from  the  enemy  whose  advance  they  dis 
puted.  Barney  himself  led  the  Americans,  and  sighted 
a  favorite  gun  of  the  sailors5  battery,  until  he  fell 
desperately  wounded.  This  battery  commanded  the 
road  by  which  the  main  column  of  British  advanced; 
and  by  its  hail  of  grape  and  canister  it  beat  back 
the  advancing  regiments,  and  for  some  time  checked 
their  further  progress.  The  British  thereupon  opened 
with  rockets,  and  sent  out  sharpshooters  to  pick  off 
the  Yankee  gunners.  One  of  these  riflemen  was  ob 
served  by  the  Americans  to  deliberately  build  for  him 
self  a  small  redoubt  of  stones  from  an  old  wall;  and, 
lying  down  behind  it,  he  began  a  deliberate  fire  upon 
the  Americans.  His  first  bullet  went  through  the  cap 
of  one  of  the  sailors,  and  the  second  sent  a  poor  fellow 
to  his  long  account.  The  marines  answered  with  their 
muskets;  but  the  fellow's  stone  rampart  saved  him,  and 
he  continued  his  fire.  Barney  vowed  to  put  an  end 
to  that  affair,  and,  carefully  sighting  one  of  his  cannon, 
pulled  the  lanyard.  The  heavy  round  shot  was  seen 
to  strike  the  sharpshooter's  defence,  and  stone  and  man 
disappeared  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  Meantime,  the  enemy 
had  thrown  out  flanking  parties  under  cover  of  the 
woods,  and  had  nearly  surrounded  the  little  band  of 
sailors.  A  musket-ball  struck  Barney  in  the  thigh, 
and  he  began  to  grow  faint  with  loss  of  blood;  and, 
finding  that  the  militia  had  fled,  and  the  sailors  were 
becoming  exhausted,  the  commodore  ordered  a  retreat. 
The  blue-jackets  left  the  field  in  good  order;  but  their 
gallant  commander  had  gone  but  a  few  steps,  when 
the  pain  of  his  wound  forced  him  to  lie  down  under 
a  tree,  and  await  the  coming  of  the  enemy.  The  Brit 
ish  soon  came  up,  led  by  General  Ross  and  Captain 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       261 

Wainwright  of  the  navy.  After  learning  Barney's 
rank,  and  courteously  offering  to  secure  surgical  aid, 
the  general  turned  to  his  companion,  and,  speaking  of 
the  stubborn  resistance  made  by  the  battery,  said,  "  I 
told  you  it  was  the  flotilla  men." — "  Yes.  You  were 
right,  though  I  could  not  believe  you,"  was  the  re 
sponse.  "  They  have  given  us  the  only  fighting  we 
have  had." 

Meanwhile,  the  British,  having  routed  the  Amer 
icans  at  every  point,  pressed  on  to  Washington.  The 
inhabitants  fled  before  them,  and  the  town  was  almost 
deserted  when  the  British  marched  in  with  banners  fly 
ing  and  bands  playing.  The  enemy  held  the  city  for 
only  a  day;  but  in  that  time  they  did  such  deeds  of 
vandalism,  that  even  the  people  and  the  press  of  Lon 
don  cried  out  in  indignation.  The  President's  house, 
the  Capitol,  all  the  public  buildings  except  the  Patent 
Office,  were  burned  to  the  ground.  The  navy-yard, 
with  the  uncompleted  ships  on  the  stocks,  was  likewise 
burned;  but  in  this  the  enemy  only  acted  in  accordance 
with  the  rules  of  war.  It  was  their  destruction  of 
the  public  buildings,  the  national  archives,  and  the  Con 
gressional  library,  that  aroused  the  wrathful  indigna 
tion  of  all  fair-minded  people,  whether  Americans  or 
Europeans.  "Willingly,"  said  one  London  news 
paper,  "  would  we  throw  a  veil  of  oblivion  over  our 
transactions  at  Washington.  The  Cossacks  spared 
Paris,  but  we  spared  not  the  capital  of  America."  A 
second  English  journal  fitly  denounced  the  proceedings 
as  "  a  return  to  the  times  of  barbarism." 

But,  if  the  invaders  are  rightly  to  be  blamed  for 
the  useless  vandalism  they  encouraged,  the  American 
authorities  are  still  more  culpable  for  their  neglect  of 
the  most  ordinary  precautions  of  war.  That  a  national 
capital,  close  to  the  sea,  should  be  left  virtually  un 
protected  while  the  enemy  was  massing  his  forces  only 


262  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

a  few  miles  away,  seems  almost  unbelievable.  But 
so  it  was  with  Washington;  for  five  hundred  flotilla 
men  were  forced  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  attack  of  five 
thousand  British.  True  it  is  that  the  military  authori 
ties  had  massed  seven  thousand  militiamen  for  the  de 
fence  of  the  city;  but  such  was  the  trepidation  of  these 
untrained  soldiers,  that  they  fled  before  the  main  body 
of  the  British  had  come  into  the  fight.  That  the  sail 
ors  and  marines  fought  bravely,  we  have  the  testimony 
of  the  British  themselves.  Mr.  Gleig,  a  subaltern  in 
the  attacking  army,  writes :  "  Of  the  sailors,  however, 
it  would  be  injustice  not  to  speak  in  the  terms  which 
their  conduct  merits.  They  were  employed  as  gun 
ners;  and  not  only  did  they  serve  their  guns  with  a 
quickness  and  precision  which  astonished  their  assail 
ants,  but  they  stood  till  some  of  them  were  actually 
bayoneted  with  fuses  in  their  hands;  nor  was  it  till 
their  leader  was  wounded  and  taken,  and  they  saw 
themselves  deserted  on  all  sides  by  the  soldiers,  that 
they  quitted  the  field."  Therefore,  in  the  battle  of 
Bladensburg,  the  blue-jackets  won  nothing  but  honor, 
though  the  results  of  the  battle  were  so  mortifying  to 
the  national  pride  of  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

After  this  success  the  British  redoubled  their  maraud 
ing  operations.  There  was  no  longer  an  American 
naval  force  on  the  Chesapeake  to  oppose  them.  Soon 
their  ambitions  turned  to  higher  things,  and  they 
planned  the  capture  of  Baltimore.  In  this  high  enter 
prise  they  failed,  though  as  the  navy  had  no  part 
in  the  conflict,  the  story  has  no  place  in  this  book. 
The  invaders  were  beaten  back  by  the  stubborn  de 
fence  of  Fort  McHenry,  and  sailed  away  after  doing 
no  damage,  and  having  given  occasion  to  Francis  Scott 
Key  to  write  the  national  anthem,  "  The  Star-Spangled 
Banner."  As  by  this  time  about  all  the  damage  that 
could  be  done  on  the  coasts  of  the  Delaware  and 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       263 

Chesapeake  had  been  accomplished,  most  of  the  British 
force  moved  southward  to  take  part  in  the  expedition 
against  New  Orleans. 

Early  in  December  the  movement  of  the  British  upon 
New  Orleans  took  definite  shape.  On  the  8th  of  that 
month,  the  calm  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  off 
the  Chandeleur  Islands,  were  the  scene  of  a  grand  ren 
dezvous  of  British  naval  and  military  forces.  All 
the  vessels  of  Cockburn's  Chesapeake  fleet  were  there, 
with  other  men-of-war,  transports,  and  schooners,  to 
the  number  of  fifty  vessels.  At  the  head  was  the 
towering  two-decker  "  Tonnant,"  carrying  the  Ad 
miral's  flag.  Frigates,  corvettes,  and  sloops-of-war 
came  trooping  in  the  rear;  and  the  transports  bore  seven 
thousand  men  for  the  capture  of  the  Southern  city. 
The  British  were  in  high  good-humor  as  the  anchors 
were  let  fall  and  the  ships  swung  round  with  their 
heads  to  the  tide.  The  voyage  across  the  gulf  from 
the  rendezvous  at  Jamaica  had  been  like  a  holiday 
trip.  The  weather  had  been  fine,  and  the  sea  smooth; 
and  the  soft  air  of  that  semi-tropical  region  was  a 
never-ending  source  of  delight  to  sailors  who  had  been 
suffering  the  hardships  of  a  Northern  station. 

The  point  at  which  the  British  fleet  had  come  to 
anchor  lay  about  fifty  miles  due  east  of  New  Orleans. 
In  that  day  of  sailing-vessels,  no  enemy  could  breast 
the  waters  of  the  rolling  Mississippi  and  crush  the  re 
sistance  of  the  city's  defenders,  as  did  Farragut  in 
1862.  Knowing  that  they  could  not  hope  to  take 
their  ships  up  to  the  levee  of  the  city,  the  enemy  deter 
mined  to  cast  anchor  near  the  entrance  of  Lake  Borgne, 
and  send  through  a  chain  of  lakes  and  bayous  a  mam 
moth  expedition  in  barges,  to  a  point  within  ten  miles 
of  the  city.  But  this  well-laid  plan  had  been  betrayed 
to  the  Americans  by  Lafitte;  and  a  little  band  of  Amer 
ican  sailors,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Catesby 


264          STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

Jones,  had  taken  up  a  position  at  the  Rigolets,  and 
were  prepared  to  dispute  the  farther  progress  of  the 
invading  forces.  Five  gunboats,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  men,  constituted  the  American  force,  which 
for  a  time  held  the  British  in  check.  Finally,  the 
enemy,  finding  that  the  swift  American  cutters  could 
easily  evade  the  lumbering  war-vessels,  fitted  out  a 
fleet  of  forty-five  barges,  manned  by  a  thousand  vet 
eran  British  sea-dogs,  who  had  seen  service  in  half 
a  dozen  naval  wars.  The  Americans  had  news  of 
the  contemplated  attack,  and  made  skilful  preparations 
to  meet  it.  The  gunboats  were  moored  in  a  fore  and 
aft  line,  at  a  point  near  the  Rigolets.  Their  broad 
sides  bore  upon  the  enemy,  and  the  shallowness  of  the 
water  was  such  that  by  no  means  could  they  be  sur 
rounded.  The  sailors  were  prepared  for  a  desperate 
conflict,  and  spent  the  night  before  the  battle  in  tricing 
up  the  boarding-nettings,  sharpening  cutlasses,  and  get 
ting  small  arms  in  good  trim.  In  the  morning  the 
British  came  on  to  the  attack.  It  was  a  long  pull 
from  the  fleet  to  the  place  of  battle:  so  their  com 
mander  brought  his  flotilla  to  anchor  just  out  of  range 
of  the  American  guns;  and  there  the  grim  old  veterans 
devoured  their  dinners,  and  took  their  rations  of  grog, 
with  appetites  undisturbed  by  the  thought  of  the  com 
ing  conflict.  Dinner  over,  the  enemy  weighed  anchor, 
and  dashed  forward,  with  long,  swift  strokes,  into  the 
very  flashes  of  the  Americans7  cannon.  The  Amer 
icans  knew  that  their  one  chance  of  victory  was  to 
keep  the  overwhelming  forces  of  their  foe  out  of  board 
ing  distance,  and  they  worked  their  guns  with  a  rapid 
ity  born  of  desperation.  Musket-bullets,  grape-shot, 
and  canister  poured  in  a  murderous  fire  upon  the  ad 
vancing  boats.  But  the  sturdy  old  British  veterans 
knew  that  the  best  way  to  stop  that  fire  was  to  get 
at  the  base  of  it;  and  they  pressed  on  undauntedly, 


FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS       265 

responding  vigorously,  meanwhile,  with  their  bow  guns. 
Soon  they  were  up  to  the  gunwales  of  the  American 
flotilla,  and  the  grappling-irons  were  fixed;  then,  with* 
sharp  blows  of  cutlasses,  deadly  play  of  the  pikes,  and 
a  ceaseless  rattle  of  small  arms,  they  poured  upon  the 
decks  of  the  Americans.  The  boarding-nettings  could 
not  long  check  so  furious  a  foe,  and  fell  before  the 
fierce  slash  of  the  cutlasses.  The  decks  once  gained, 
the  overpowering  numbers  of  the  Englishmen  crushed 
all  further  resistance;  and  the  flotilla  was  finally  taken, 
after  about  one  hundred  of  the  enemy  and  fifty  Amer 
icans  had  fallen. 

The  American  flotilla  being  thus  shattered,  there  re 
mained  no  further  obstacle  to  prevent  the  landing  of 
the  invading  army.  Of  the  advance  of  that  brilliant 
body  of  veteran  troops  over  sands  and  marshes,  and 
through  sluggish  bayous  and  canals  half-full  of  stag 
nant  water,  until  they  emerged  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
nine  miles  below  New  Orleans,  it  is  not  my  purpose 
to  speak  further.  Nor  does  an  account  of  General 
Jackson's  vigorous  measures  of  defence  and  glorious 
victory  come  within  the  province  of  this  narrative. 
The  interesting  story  of  Jackson's  creation  of  an  army 
from  leather-shirted  Kentucky  riflemen,  gay  Creoles 
from  the  Creole  Quarter  of  the  Crescent  City,  swarthy 
Spaniards  and  mulattoes,  nondescript  desperadoes  from 
the  old  band  of  Lafitte,  and  militia  and  regulars  from 
all  the  Southern  States,  forms  no  part  of  the  naval 
annals  of  the  war.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the  flower 
of  the  British  army,  led  by  a  veteran  of  the  Peninsula, 
recoiled  before  that  motley  crew  of  untrained  soldiers, 
and  were  beaten  back,  leaving  their  gallant  leader  and 
thousands  of  their  brave  men  dead  upon  the  field.  The 
navy  was  not  without  some  share  in  this  glorious  tri 
umph.  On  the  23d  of  December  the  schooner  "  Caro 
lina  "  dropped  down  from  New  Orleans,  and  opened 


266  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

fire  upon  the  enemy.  "  Now,  then,  for  the  honor  of 
America,  give  it  to  them !  "  sung  out  her  commander, 
as  the  first  broadside  was  fired.  The  attack,  unexpected 
as  it  was,  created  a  panic  in  the  British  camp.  A 
feeble  reply  was  made  with  rockets  and  musketry;  but 
even  this  was  soon  discontinued,  and  the  enemy  took 
refuge  under  the  steep  bank  of  the  levee,  whither  the 
plunging  shot  could  not  follow  them.  All  night  the 
u  Carolina  "  kept  up  her  fire;  and,  when  at  daybreak 
she  moved  away,  she  left  the  camp  of  the  enemy  in  con 
fusion.  During  the  day  she  renewed  the  attack,  and 
persisted  in  her  fire  until  the  British  threw  up  a  heavy 
battery  on  the  river's  bank,  and  replied.  The  lads 
of  the  "  Carolina  "  promptly  accepted  the  challenge 
thus  offered,  and  for  a  time  a  spirited  combat  was  main 
tained.  But  the  battery  threw  red-hot  shot,  and  the 
schooner  was  soon  set  on  fire  and  destroyed.  Mean 
while  the  corvette  "  Louisiana  "  had  come  down  to 
the  scene  of  action,  and  in  the  subsequent  engagements 
did  some  effective  work.  When  the  final  onslaught 
of  the  British  was  made,  on  January  7,  1815,  the 
guns  of  the  "  Louisiana  "  were  mounted  on  the  oppo 
site  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  practised  sailors  worked 
them  with  deadly  effect,  until  the  flight  of  the  Amer 
ican  militia  on  that  side  exposed  the  battery  to  certain 
capture.  The  sailors  then  spiked  their  guns,  and 
marched  off  unmolested.  The  sailors  of  the  "  Caro 
lina,"  on  that  day  of  desperate  fighting,  were  in  the 
centre  of  Jackson's  line,  between  the  Creoles  and  the 
swarthy  Baratarians  under  Dominique  Yon.  Here 
they  worked  their  howitzers,  and  watched  the  scarlet 
lines  of  the  enemy  advance  and  melt  away  before  that 
deadly  blaze;  advance  and  fall  back  again  in  hopeless 
rout.  And  among  the  many  classes  of  fighting  men 
whom  Jackson  had  rallied  before  that  British  line, 
none  did  battle  more  valiantly  for  the  honor  of  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       267 

nation  and  the  safety  of  the  flowery  city  of  New  Or 
leans  than  did  those  blue-jackets  ashore. 

It  is  a  fitting  commentary  upon  the  folly  of  war, 
that  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  was  fought  after  the 
two  warring  nations  had  signed  a  treaty  of  peace.  The 
lives  of  some  hundreds  of  brave  Englishmen  and  Amer 
icans  were  needlessly  sacrificed  in  a  cause  already  de 
cided.  Far  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  in  the  quaint 
old  Dutch  city  of  Ghent,  representatives  of  England 
and  the  United  States  met,  and,  after  some  debate, 
signed  the  treaty  on  the  24th  of  December,  1814.  But 
there  was  then  no  Atlantic  cable,  no  "  ocean  grey 
hounds  "  to  annihilate  space  and  time;  and  it  was 
months  before  the  news  of  the  treaty  reached  the  scene 
of  war.  In  the  meantime,  the  hostilities  were  con 
tinued  by  land  and  sea. 


CHAPTER  XV 

"  Constitution,"  "  Cyane,"  and  "  Levant  "—Loss  of  the  "  President  " 
— Captain  Reid — The  "  General  Armstrong  " — "  Peacock  "  and 
"  Nautilus  "—Close  of  the  War. 

THOUGH  the  treaty  of  peace  had  been  signed  in  the 
last  week  of  1814,  hostilities  on  the  ocean  continued 
for  some  months.  Frigates  were  cruising  far  and 
wide,  and  no  means  existed  for  notifying  them  of  the 
formal  end  of  the  war — indeed,  New  York  and  Wash 
ington  knew  nothing  of  it  for  more  than  two  months. 
Among  the  ships  thus  cruising,  destined  to  wind  up 
her  career  with  a  most  glorious  victory,  was  the  gallant 
"  Constitution.'* 

On  the  morning  of  the  2Oth  of  February,  1815,  as 
the  ship  was  running  aimlessly  before  a  light  wind,  in 
European  waters,  some  inexplicable  impulse  led  Cap 
tain  Stewart  to  suddenly  alter  his  course  and  run  off 
some  sixty  miles  to  the  southwest.  Again  the  "  Con 
stitution's  "  good  luck  seemed  to  justify  the  sailors1 
belief,  for  at  noon  she  ran  into  a  group  of  vessels. 
The  first  vessel  was  sighted  on  the  larboard  bow,  and, 
as  the  frigate  overhauled  her,  proved  to  be  a  full-rigged 
ship.  Soon  after  a  second  sail,  also  a  ship,  was  sighted; 
and  a  few  minutes  more  sufficed  to  show  that  both 
were  men-of-war.  The  one  first  sighted  was  the  frig 
ate-built  corvette  "  Cyane,"  of  thirty-four  guns;  and 
the  second  was  the  sloop-of-war  "  Levant,"  of  twenty- 
one  guns.  For  either  of  these  vessels  singly,  the  "  Con 
stitution,"  with  her  fifty-two  guns  and  crew  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  was  more  than  a  match.  Yet 
to  attack  the  two  was  a  bold  movement,  and  this  Stew 
art  determined  to  undertake.  Hardly  had  the  char- 

268 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       269 

acter  of  the  strangers  been  made  out,  when  the  corvette 
was  seen  making  signals  to  the  sloop;  and  the  two  ves 
sels,  then  about  ten  miles  apart,  made  all  sail  to  get 
together  before  the  enemy  should  overhaul  them.  This 
juncture  was  precisely  what  Stewart  wished  to  prevent; 
and  in  a  trice  the  shrill  notes  of  the  boatswain's  whistle 
sent  the  sailors  in  swarms  into  the  rigging,  and  the 
frigate  was  as  if  by  magic  clothed  with  a  broad  ex 
panse  of  canvas.  Quickly  she  felt  the  effect,  and 
bounded  through  the  water  after  the  distant  ships  like 
a  dolphin  chasing  a  school  of  flying-fish.  The  old 
tars  on  the  forecastle  looked  knowingly  over  the  side 
at  the  foamy  water  rushing  past,  and  then  cast  approv 
ing  glances  aloft  where  every  sail  was  drawing.  But 
their  complacency  was  shattered  by  a  loud  crash  aloft, 
which  proved  to  be  the  main  royal-mast  which  had 
given  way  under  the  strain.  Another  spar  was  rigged 
speedily,  and  shipped  by  the  active  tars,  and  soon  the 
snowy  clouds  aloft  showed  no  signs  of  the  wreck. 
At  sundown  the  three  vessels  were  so  near  each  other 
that  their  colors  could  be  seen.  Stewart  ran  up  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  to  which  the  strangers  responded 
by  setting  the  British  flag  at  their  mastheads. 

The  purpose  of  the  enemy  was  to  delay  the  opening 
of  the  action  until  night  should  give  him  opportunity 
to  manoeuvre  unobserved;  but  the  "  Constitution,"  sus 
pecting  this,  pressed  forward  hotly,  and  opened  fire 
a  few  minutes  after  six  o'clock.  By  skilful  seaman 
ship  Stewart  kept  the  windward  gage  of  both  enemies; 
and  the  fight  opened  with  the  "  Cyane  "  on  the  port- 
quarter,  and  the  "  Levant "  on  the  port-bow  of  the 
American  frigate.  Fifteen  minutes  of  fierce  cannonad 
ing  followed,  the  combatants  being  within  musket-shot 
most  of  the  time.  Every  gun  was  engaged;  and  the 
heavy  broadsides  shook  the  ships,  and  thundered  far 
over  the  placid  surface  of  the  ocean,  which  was  now 


270  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

faintly  illumined  by  the  rising  moon.  The  triangular 
space  between  the  ships  was  filled  with  the  dense  sul 
phurous  smoke  of  the  burning  powder;  so  that  the  gun 
ners  could  see  nothing  of  the  enemy  at  whom  they  were 
hurling  their  ponderous  iron  bolts.  The  men  in  the 
tops  could  now  and  again  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  top 
hamper  of  the  enemy's  ships,  but  those  on  the  gun- 
deck  were  working  almost  at  random.  After  a  few 
minutes  of  rapid  firing,  the  fire  of  the  enemy  slackened; 
and  Stewart  directed  his  gunners  to  cease  until  the 
smoke  should  have  cleared  away.  At  this  command  a 
silence,  almost  oppressive  after  the  heavy  cannonading, 
ensued,  broken  only  by  the  occasional  report  of  a  gun 
from  the  unseen  enemy,  sounding  like  minute-guns  of 
distress.  Anxiously  Stewart  waited  for  the  smoke  to 
blow  away.  When  it  did  so,  the  "  Cyane  "  was  seen 
luffing  up,  to  come  under  the  frigate's  stern,  and  get 
in  a  raking  broadside.  The  movement  was  discovered 
just  in  time  to  be  checked.  Stewart  gave  a  heavy 
broadside  to  the  "Levant";  then,  bracing  back  his 
topsails,  backed  his  ship  down  abreast  of  the  "  Cyane," 
pouring  in  rapid  broadsides,  before  which  the  fire  of 
the  corvette  died  away.  Two  raking  broadsides  that 
crashed  into  the  stern  of  the  "  Levant "  sent  that  craft 
out  of  the  action,  to  refit.  The  frigate  then  pressed 
down  upon  the  "  Cyane,"  and  with  a  few  heavy  broad 
sides  forced  her  to  strike. 

Captain  Douglass  of  the  "  Levant  "  then  proved  his 
bravery  by  standing  by  his  captured  consort;  although 
he  could  have  escaped  easily,  while  the  "  Constitution  " 
was  taking  possession  of  her  prize.  No  thought  of 
flight  seems  to  have  occurred  to  the  gallant  Briton, 
though  he  must  have  known  that  there  was  but  little 
hope  of  his  coming  out  of  the  combat  victorious.  Still 
he  boldly  came  back  into  the  fight,  meeting  the  "  Con 
stitution  "  ploughing  along  on  the  opposite  tack. 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       271 

Broadsides  were  exchanged  at  such  close  range  that 
the  Yankee  gunners  could  hear  the  ripping  of  the 
planks  on  the  enemy's  decks  as  the  solid  shot  crashed 
through  beam  and  stanchion.  Having  passed  each 
other,  the  ships  wore,  and  returned  to  the  attack; 
but  the  weight  of  the  American's  metal  told  so 
severely  upon  the  "  Levant "  that  her  flag  was 
hauled  down,  and,  firing  a  gun  to  leeward,  she  gave 
up  the  fight. 

As  an  exhibition  of  seamanship,  this  action  is  un 
rivalled  in  naval  annals.  For  Stewart  to  have  taken 
his  ship  into  action  with  two  hostile  vessels,  and  so 
handle  her  as  not  only  to  escape  being  raked,  but 
actually  rake  his  enemies,  was  a  triumph  of  nautical 
skill.  The  action  was  hard  fought  by  both  parties. 
The  loss  upon  the  British  vessels  has  never  been  exactly 
determined;  but  it  was  undoubtedly  large,  for  the  hulls 
were  badly  cut  up  by  the  American's  fire.  The  "  Con 
stitution  "  had  but  three  men  killed,  and  twelve 
wounded.  The  officers  all  escaped  unhurt. 

After  a  few  hours'  pause  to  repair  damages,  Stewart 
took  his  prizes  into  Porto  Prayo,  in  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands.  There  he  was  discovered  by  a  superior  Brit 
ish  fleet.  The  "  Constitution  "  and  "  Cyane  "  escaped, 
but  the  "  Levant "  remained  at  anchor,  trusting  to  the 
neutrality  of  the  port  for  protection.  It  was  leaning 
on  a  broken  reed.  Not  only  did  the  British  war-vessel 
attack  instantly,  but  a  hundred  or  more  prisoners  who 
had  been  paroled  and  sent  ashore,  broke  their  paroles, 
seized  a  fort  by  the  harbor  side,  and  turned  its  guns 
on  the  American  ship,  which  was  speedily  compelled  to 
surrender. 

It  was  late  in  May  before  the  "  Constitution n 
reached  New  York.  Peace  had  then  been  declared; 
but  none  the  less  were  Stewart  and  his  men  feasted 
and  honored.  The  old  frigate  had  won  for  herself 


272  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

a  name  ever  to  be  remembered  by  the  people  of  the 
nation,  in  whose  service  she  had  received  and  dealt 
so  many  hard  knocks.  "  Old  Ironsides,"  they  called 
her;  and  even  to-day,  when  a  later  war  has  given  to 
the  navy  vessels  whose  sides  are  literally  iron,  the 
"  Constitution  "  still  holds  her  place  in  the  hearts  of 
the  American  people,  who  think  of  her  lovingly  by  the 
well-won  title  of  "  Old  Ironsides." 

Unluckily  for  the  American  arms  the  honor  won 
by  the  "  Constitution  "  was  offset  by  the  loss  of  the 
"  President "  immediately  off  New  York  harbor.  On 
the  night  of  the  I4th  of  January  she  started  to  run 
the  blockade  of  that  harbor.  Her  cruise  was  laid  to 
avoid  the  blockaders,  but,  as  luck  would  have  it,  they 
had  been  forced  from  their  accustomed  positions  by 
heavy  weather  and  she  ran  into  their  midst.  More 
over,  she  grounded  and  was  seriously  injured  when  the 
enemy  was  sighted.  Before  daylight  the  lookout  re 
ported  two  sail  in  sight,  and  at  daybreak  the  ship  was 
fairly  surrounded  by  the  enemy's  vessels.  All  at  once 
gave  chase  to  the  luckless  American;  and  a  few  hours 
were  enough  to  show  that  her  sailing  qualities  were  so 
seriously  injured  by  her  pounding  on  the  bar,  that  the 
enemy  was  rapidly  overhauling  her.  Decatur  adopted 
every  known  expedient  to  increase  his  ship's  speed,  but 
to  no  avail.  After  she  had  been  lightened  by  starting 
the  water,  cutting  away  boats  and  anchors,  chopping 
up  and  heaving  overboard  the  ponderous  cables,  to 
gether  with  spars  and  provisions,  the  enemy  still  gained; 
and  the  foremost  pursuer,  a  razee,  opened  fire.  The 
"  President  "  responded  with  her  stern-chasers,  but  her 
shot  had  no  effect.  "  It  is  said  that  on  this  occasion," 
writes  Cooper,  "  the  shot  of  the  American  ship  were 
observed  to  be  thrown  with  a  momentum  so  unusually 
small,  as  to  have  since  excited  much  distrust  of  the 
quality  of  her  gunpowder.  It  is  even  added,  that  many 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       273 

of  these  shot  were  distinctly  seen,  when  clear  of  the 
smoke,  until  they  struck."  At  six  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing,  the  frigate  "  Endymion  "  led  the  British  squadron 
in  chase,  and  had  gained  a  position  so  close  upon  the 
American's  beam  that  her  broadsides  were  rapidly 
crippling  the  fugitive.  Thereupon  Decatur  determined 
upon  a  desperate  expedient,  that  sounds  like  some  of 
his  reckless  exploits  in  the  war  with  Tripoli.  His  plan 
was  to  bring  the  "  President "  about,  and  run  boldly 
alongside  the  enemy.  Everything  was  to  be  sacrificed 
to  the  end  of  getting  to  close  quarters.  When  once 
the  two  ships  had  grappled,  the  Americans  were  to 
board,  carry  the  British  ship  in  a  hand-to-hand  battle, 
and  then,  abandoning  the  crippled  "  President,"  escape 
in  the  captured  frigate.  So  desperate  a  plan  needed 
the  cordial  co-operation  of  every  man:  so  it  was  first 
presented  to  the  commissioned  officers,  who  gladly  em 
braced  the  desperate  project.  The  sailors  were  then 
sent  aft,  and  Decatur  addressed  them  from  the  quarter 
deck. 

"  My  lads,"  said  he,  "  that  ship  is  coming  up  with 
us.  As  our  ship  won't  sail,  we'll  go  on  board  of  theirs, 
every  man  and  boy  of  us,  and  carry  her  into  New 
York.  All  I  ask  of  you  is  to  follow  me.  This 
is  a  favorite  ship  of  the  country.  If  we  allow 
her  to  be  taken,  we  shall  be  deserted  by  our  wives 
and  sweethearts.  What,  let  such  a  ship  as  this  go  for 
nothing !  'Twould  break  the  heart  of  every  pretty  girl 
in  New  York." 

With  hearty  cheers,  the  jackies  returned  to  their 
guns.  All  were  ready  for  the  coming  struggle.  Over 
the  main  hatch  was  mounted  a  howitzer,  with  its  black 
muzzle  peering  down  into  the  hold,  ready  to  scuttle 
the  ship  when  the  boarders  should  spring  upon  the 
enemy's  deck.  The  sun,  by  this  time,  had  sunk  below 
the  horizon,  and  the  darkness  of  night  was  gathering 


274  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

over  the  ocean.  The  two  ships  surged  toward  each 
other, — great  black  masses,  lighted  up  on  either  side 
by  rows  of  open  ports,  through  which  gleamed  the  un 
certain  light  of  the  battle-lanterns.  On  the  gun-deck 
the  men  stood  stern  and  silent;  their  thoughts  fixed 
upon  the  coming  battle,  or  perhaps  wandering  back  to 
the  green  fields  and  pleasant  homes  they  had  so  recently 
left,  perhaps  forever.  The  gray  old  yeoman  of  the 
frigate,  with  his  mates,  walked  from  gun  to  gun,  si 
lently  placing  a  well-sharpened  cutlass,  a  dirk,  and  a 
heavy  leather  boarding-cap  at  each  man's  side.  The 
marines  were  drawn  up  in  a  line  amidships;  their  erect, 
soldierly  air  and  rigid  alignment  contrasting  with  the 
careless  slouchiness  of  the  sailors.  Butts  for  the  sail 
ors*  ridicule  as  they  were  during  a  cruise,  the  marines 
knew  that,  in  hand-to-hand  conflicts,  their  part  was 
as  dashing  as  that  of  their  tormentors  of  the  fore 
castle. 

When  the  "  President  "  had  come  within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  her  adversary,  Decatur  perceived  that  his 
enemy  was  determined  to  decide  the  contest  at  long 
range.  As  the  "  President "  hauled  down  nearer,  the 
"  Endymion "  sheered  off,  keeping  up  meanwhile  a 
vigorous  cannonade.  To  this  the  Americans  responded 
in  kind;  and  so  much  superior  was  the  gunnery  of 
the  Yankee  tars,  that  the  rigging  of  the  enemy  was 
seen  to  be  fast  going  to  pieces,  while  her  guns  were 
being  silenced  one  by  one.  But  her  fire  did  sad  havoc 
among  the  men  of  the  "  President/'  and  particularly 
among  the  officers.  The  first  broadside  carried  away 
Decatur's  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Babbitt,  who  was  struck 
by  a  thirty-two-pound  shot,  which  cut  off  his  right  leg 
below  the  knee,  and  hurled  him  through  the  ward-room 
hatch  to  the  deck  below,  fracturing  his  wounded  leg 
in  two  places.  Shortly  after,  Decatur  was  knocked  to 
the  deck  by  a  heavy  splinter.  For  some  time  he  lay 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       275 

unconscious;  then  opening  his  eyes,  and  seeing  a  throng 
of  anxious  seamen  about  him,  he  ordered  them  to  their 
stations,  and  resumed  his  duties.  The  fire  of  the 
"  Endymion  "  then  slackened;  and  she  lay  upon  the 
water,  with  her  sails  cut  from  the  yards.  At  that 
moment  Lieutenant  Howell  turned  to  a  midshipman 
standing  at  his  side,  and  said  gaily,  "  Well,  we  have 
whipped  that  ship,  at  any  rate/'  A  flash  from  the 
bow  of  the  Englishman  followed;  and  he  added,  "  No, 
there  she  is  again."  The  midshipman  turned  to  reply, 
and  saw  Howell  stretched  dead  at  his  feet,  killed  by 
the  last  shot  of  the  battle. 

The  enemy  was  now  helpless,  and  it  would  have 
been  easy  enough  for  the  "  President  "  to  choose  her 
position  and  compel  her  adversary  to  strike;  but  the 
presence  of  two  more  Englishmen,  rapidly  coming  up 
astern,  forced  the  Americans  to  abandon  their  prey 
and  continue  their  flight.  It  was  then  late  in  the  even 
ing,  and  the  night  was  dark  and  starless.  Every  light 
was  extinguished  on  the  American  frigate,  in  the  hope 
that  by  so  doing  she  might  slip  away  under  cover  of 
the  night.  But  the  British  lookouts  were  sharp-eyed; 
and  by  eleven  o'clock  two  frigates  had  closed  in  on 
the  crippled  ship,  and  a  third  was  rapidly  coming  up 
astern.  All  were  pouring  in  rapid  broadsides,  and 
the  dark  waters  were  lighted  up  like  a  fiery  sea  by  the 
ceaseless  flashing  of  the  guns.  Thus  surrounded  and 
overpowered,  there  remained  open  to  the  Americans  no 
course  but  to  surrender;  and  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night 
the  "  President "  made  signal  that  she  had  struck.  Her 
fate,  like  that  of  the  "  Chesapeake,"  had  accorded  with 
the  superstitious  sailor's  notion  that  she  was  an  "  un 
lucky  "  ship. 

One  other  action  of  this  year  of  war  after  peace 
was  declared  must  be  passed  over  with  a  mere  mention. 
The  little  "  Hornet,"  always  a  lucky  ship,  under  com- 


276  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

mand  of  Captain  Biddle,  took  the  brig  "  Penquin " 
after  a  fierce  and  bloody  conflict.  This  was  the  last 
prize  of  the  war. 


While  the  operations  of  the  privateers  during  the 
War  of  1812  were  full  of  daring  and  of  picturesque 
incident,  I  have  foreborne  to  tell  of  it  here.  That 
story  would  be  a  volume  in  itself.  But  one  fight  of 
a  private  armed  vessel  had  so  great  an  influence  upon 
the  final  outcome  of  the  war  that  its  story  becomes 
pertinent. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1814,  the  privateer, "Gen 
eral  Armstrong,"  Captain  Samuel  C.  Reid,  was  lying  at 
anchor  in  the  roadstead  of  Fayal.  Over  the  land  that 
inclosed  the  snug  harbor  on  three  sides  waved  the  flag 
of  Portugal,  a  neutral  power,  but  unfortunately  one  of 
insufficient  strength  to  enforce  the  rights  of  neutrality. 
While  the  u  Armstrong  "  was  thus  lying  in  the  port,  a 
British  squadron,  composed  of  the  "  Plantagenet," 
seventy- four ;  the  "  Rota,"  thirty-eight;  and  "Carna 
tion,"  eighteen,  hove  in  sight,  and  soon  swung  into 
the  harbor  and  dropped  anchor.  Reid  watched  the 
movements  of  the  enemy  with  eager  vigilance.  He 
knew  well  that  the  protection  of  Portugal  would  not 
aid  him  in  the  least  should  the  captain  of  that  seventy- 
four  choose  to  open  fire  upon  the  "  Armstrong."  The 
action  of  the  British  in  coming  into  the  harbor  was 
in  itself  suspicious,  and  the  American  had  little  doubt 
that  the  safety  of  his  vessel  was  in  jeopardy.  While 
he  was  pacing  the  deck,  and  weighing  in  his  mind  the 
probability  of  an  assault  by  the  British,  he  caught  sight 
of  some  unusual  stir  aboard  the  hostile  ships.  It  was 
night;  but  the  moon  had  risen,  and  by  its  pale  light 
Reid  saw  four  large  barges  let  fall  from  the  enemy's 
ships,  and,  manned  by  about  forty  men  each,  make 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       277 

toward  his  vessel.  In  an  instant  every  man  on  the 
privateer  was  called  to  his  post.  That  there  was  to 
be  an  attack  was  now  certain ;  and  the  Americans  deter 
mined  not  to  give  up  their  vessel  without  at  least  a 
vigorous  attempt  to  defend  her.  Reid's  first  act  was 
to  warp  his  craft  under  the  guns  of  a  rather  dilapidated 
castle,  which  was  supposed  to  uphold  the  authority  of 
Portugal  over  the  island  and  adjacent  waters.  Hardly 
had  the  position  been  gained,  when  the  foremost  of 
the  British  boats  came  within  hail,  and  Captain  Reid 
shouted,  "Boat  ahoy!  What  boat's  that?"  No  re 
sponse  followed  the  hail;  and  it  was  repeated,  with 
the  warning,  "  Answer,  or  I  shall  fire  into  you."  Still 
the  British  advanced  without  responding;  and  Reid, 
firmly  convinced  that  they  purposed  to  carry  his  ship 
with  a  sudden  dash,  ordered  his  gunners  to  open  on  the 
boats  with  grape.  This  was  done,  and  at  the  first 
volley  the  British  turned  and  made  off.  Captain  Reid 
then  warped  his  vessel  still  nearer  shore;  and  bending 
springs  on  her  cable,  so  that  her  broadside  might  be 
kept  always  toward  the  enemy,  he  waited  a  second  at 
tack.  At  midnight  the  enemy  were  seen  advancing 
again,  this  time  with  fourteen  barges  and  about  five 
hundred  men.  While  the  flotilla  was  still  at  long  range, 
the  Americans  opened  fire  upon  them  with  the  heavy 
"  Long  Tom  " ;  and,  as  they  came  nearer,  the  full  bat 
tery  of  long  nine-pounders  took  up  the  fight.  The 
carnage  in  the  advancing  boats  was  terrible;  but  the 
plucky  Englishmen  pushed  on,  meeting  the  privateer's 
fire  with  volleys  of  musketry  and  carronades.  Despite 
the  American  fire,  the  British  succeeded  in  getting  under 
the  bow  and  quarter  of  the  "  Armstrong,"  and  strove 
manfully  to  board;  while  the  Americans  fought  no  less 
bravely  to  keep  them  back.  The  attack  became  a 
furious  hand-to-hand  battle.  From  behind  the  board 
ing-nettings  the  Americans  thrust  pikes,  and  fired  pistols 


278  STORY   OF   OUR   NAVY 

and  muskets,  at  their  assailants,  who,  mounted  on  each 
other's  shoulders,  were  hacking  fiercely  at  the  nettings 
which  kept  them  from  gaining  the  schooner's  deck. 
The  few  that  managed  to  clamber  on  the  taffrail  of  the 
"  Armstrong  "  were  thrust  through  and  through  with 
pikes,  and  hurled,  thus  horribly  impaled,  into  the  sea. 
The  fighting  was  fiercest  and  deadliest  on  the  quarter; 
for  there  were  most  of  the  enemy's  boats,  and  there 
Captain  Reid  led  the  defence  in  person.  So  hot  was 
the  reception  met  by  the  British  at  this  point,  that  they 
drew  off  in  dismay,  despairing  of  ever  gaining  the 
privateer's  deck.  Hardly  did  Reid  see  the  enemy  thus 
foiled  on  the  quarter,  when  a  chorus  of  British  cheers 
from  the  forecastle,  mingled  with  yells  of  rage,  told 
that  the  enemy  had  succeeded  in  effecting  a  lodgment 
there.  Calling  his  men  about  him,  the  gallant  captain 
dashed  forward  and  was  soon  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  defenders,  dealing  furious  blows  with  his  cutlass, 
and  crying  out,  "  Come  on,  my  lads,  and  we'll  drive 
them  into  the  sea."  The  leadership  of  an  officer  was 
all  that  the  sailors  needed.  The  three  lieutenants  on 
the  forecastle  had  been  killed  or  disabled,  else  the  enemy 
had  never  come  aboard.  With  Reid  to  cheer  them 
on,  the  sailors  rallied,  and  with  a  steady  advance  drove 
the  British  back  into  their  boats.  The  disheartened 
enemy  did  not  return  to  the  attack,  but  returned  to  their 
ships,  leaving  behind  two  boats  captured  and  two  sunk. 
Their  loss  in  the  attack  was  thirty-four  killed  and 
eighty-six  wounded.  On  the  privateer  were  two  killed 
and  seven  wounded. 

But  the  attack  was  not  to  end  here.  Reid  was  too 
old  a  sailor  to  expect  that  the  British,  chagrined  as 
they  were  by  two  repulses,  were  likely  to  leave  the 
privateer  in  peace.  He  well  knew  that  the  withdrawal 
of  the  barges  meant  not  an  abandonment,  but  merely  a 
short  discontinuance,  of  the  attack.  Accordingly  he 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       279 

gave  his  crew  scarcely  time  to  rest,  before  he  set  them 
to  work  getting  the  schooner  in  trim  for  another  battle. 
The  wounded  were  carried  below,  and  the  decks  cleared 
of  splinters  and  wreckage.  The  boarding-nettings  were 
patched  up,  and  hung  again  in  place.  "  Long  Tom  " 
had  been  knocked  off  his  carriage  by  a  carronade  shot, 
and  had  to  be  remounted;  but  all  was  done  quickly,  and 
by  morning  the  vessel  was  ready  for  whatever  might 
be  in  store  for  her.  The  third  assault  was  made  soon 
after  daybreak.  Evidently  the  enemy  despaired  of 
his  ability  to  conquer  the  privateersmen  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  battle;  for  this  time  he  moved  the  brig  "  Carna 
tion  "  up  within  range,  and  opened  fire  upon  the 
schooner.  The  man-of-war  could  fire  nine  guns  at  a 
broadside,  while  the  schooner  could  reply  with  but 
seven;  but  "  Long  Tom  "  proved  the  salvation  of  the 
privateer.  The  heavy  twenty-four-pound  shots  from 
this  gun  did  so  much  damage  upon  the  hull  of  the 
brig,  that  she  was  forced  to  draw  out  of  the  action; 
leaving  the  victory,  for  the  third  time,  with  the  Amer 
icans. 

But  now  Captain  Reid  decided  that  it  was  folly  to 
longer  continue  the  conflict.  The  overwhelming  force 
of  the  enemy  made  any  thought  of  ultimate  escape 
folly.  It  only  remained  for  the  British  to  move  the 
seventy-four  "  Plantagenet "  into  action  to  seal  the 
doom  of  the  Yankee  privateer.  The  gallant  defence 
already  made  by  the  Americans  had  cost  the  British 
nearly  three  hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded;  and 
Reid  now  determined  to  destroy  his  vessel,  and  escape 
to  the  shore.  The  great  pivot-gun  was  accordingly 
pointed  down  the  main  hatch,  and  two  heavy  shots  sent 
crashing  through  the  bottom.  Then  applying  the 
torch,  to  make  certain  the  work  of  destruction,  the 
privateersmen  left  the  ship,  giving  three  cheers  for 
the  gallant  "  General  Armstrong/'  as  a  burst  of  flame 


280  STORY   OF  OUR   NAVY 

and  a  roar  told  that  the  flames  had  reached  her 
magazine. 

This  gallant  action  won  loud  plaudits  for  Captain 
Reid  when  the  news  reached  the  United  States.  Cer 
tainly  no  vessel  of  the  regular  navy  was  ever  more 
bravely  or  skilfully  defended  than  was  the  "  General 
Armstrong."  But,  besides  the  credit  won  for  the 
American  arms,  Reid  had  unknowingly  done  his  coun 
try  a  memorable  service.  The  three  vessels  that  at 
tacked  him  were  bound  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  assist 
in  the  attack  upon  New  Orleans.  The  havoc  Reid 
wrought  among  their  crews,  and  the  damage  he  in 
flicted  upon  the  "  Carnation,"  so  delayed  the  New 
Orleans  expedition,  that  General  Jackson  was  able  to 
gather  those  motley  troops  that  fought  so  well  on  the 
plains  of  Chalmette.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  plucky 
fight  of  the  lads  of  the  "  General  Armstrong,"  the 
British  forces  would  have  reached  New  Orleans  ten 
days  earlier,  and  Packenham's  expedition  might  have 
ended  very  differently. 

The  war  was  now  virtually  at  an  end.  Its  last 
action  was  a  foolish  and  a  useless  one.  The  sloop 
"  Peacock,"  returning  to  New  York,  fell  in  with  the 
British  brig  "  Nautilus  "  and  prepared  to  give  it  action. 
The  captain  of  the  latter  knew  of  the  declaration  of 
peace  and  shouted  the  intelligence  to  Captain  Warring- 
ton  of  the  American  ship,  who  thought  it  a  subterfuge 
and  opened  fire.  The  "  Nautilus  "  was  badly  cut  up, 
and  eight  of  her  crew  killed,  before  she  struck.  When 
Warrington  boarded  he  found  his  foe  had  told  the 
truth.  Of  course  there  were  profuse  apologies  and 
expressions  of  regret,  but  the  cruel  mischief  had  been 
done. 

When  the  "  Peacock  "  reached  port,  the  last  of  the 
cruisers  had  returned;  and  the  war  was  over  in  fact, 
as  it  had  long  been  over  technically.  It  has  become  the 


FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS       281 

fashion  to  say  that  it  was  a  useless  war,  that  served 
no  purpose,  because  the  treaty  by  which  it  was  ended 
contained  no  reference  to  the  hateful  doctrine  of  the 
right  to  search,  which,  more  than  anything  else,  had 
brought  on  the  conflict.  Yet,  though  the  conduct  of 
the  war  had  not  led  the  British  formally  to  renounce 
their  claims  in  this  respect,  the  exploits  of  the  American 
navy  had  shown  that  the  Yankee  blue-jackets  were  pre 
pared  to,  and  would,  forcibly  resent  any  attempt  on 
the  part  of  the  British  to  put  those  claims  into  practice. 
The  British  had  entered  upon  the  war  gaily,  never 
dreaming  that  the  puny  American  navy  would  offer 
any  serious  resistance  to  Great  Britain's  domination 
upon  the  ocean.  Yet  now,  looking  back  over  the  three 
years  of  the  war,  they  saw  an  array  of  naval  battles, 
in  the  majority  of  which  the  Americans  had  been  vic 
torious;  and  in  all  of  which  the  brilliancy  of  American 
naval  tactics,  the  skill  of  the  officers,  and  the  courage 
and  discipline  of  the  crews,  put  the  younger  combatants 
on  a  plane  with  the  older  and  more  famous  naval  serv 
ice.  Fenimore  Cooper,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Navy 
of  the  United  States,"  thus  sums  up  the  results  of  this 
naval  war:  "  The  navy  came  out  of  this  struggle  with 
a  vast  increase  of  reputation.  The  brilliant  style  in 
which  the  ships  had  been  carried  into  action,  the  steadi 
ness  and  accuracy  with  which  they  had  been  handled, 
and  the  fatal  accuracy  of  their  fire  on  nearly  every  occa 
sion  had  produced  a  new  era  in  naval  warfare.  Most 
of  the  frigate  actions  had  been  as  soon  decided  as 
circumstances  would  at  all  allow;  and  in  no  instance 
was  it  found  necessary  to  keep  up  the  fire  of  a  sloop- 
of-war  an  hour,  when  singly  engaged.  Most  of  the 
combats  of  the  latter,  indeed,  were  decided  in  about 
half  that  time.  The  execution  done  in  these  short  con 
flicts  was  often  equal  to  that  made  by  the  largest  vessels 
of  Europe  in  general  actions;  and,  in  some  of  them, 


282          STORY   OF  OUR  NAVY 

the  slain  and  wounded  comprised  a  very  large  propor 
tion  of  their  crews.  .  .  .  The  ablest  and  bravest  cap 
tains  of  the  English  fleet  were  ready  to  admit  that  a 
new  power  was  about  to  appear  upon  the  ocean,  and 
that  it  was  not  improbable  the  battle  for  the  mastery 
of  the  seas  would  have  to  be  fought  over  again." 


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16   1933 

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MATH.-STAT. 


TO 


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